About

Tevi (Cornish for ‘grow’) is a new, unique and exciting EU-funded venture which aims to do two things, simultaneously; create both economic and environmental growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The initiative, which will continue until June 30th 2023, provides small and medium-sized enterprises across the county with expert consultation, opportunities for recognition and certification, and grant funding. We want to help enterprises make the most of the prized asset upon which they rely – our beautiful natural environment – by helping them grow their business.

Tevi supports enterprises to become more efficient with their natural resource use and to minimise their waste in smart and innovative ways as part of the global transition towards a circular economy. The work is led by the University of Exeter, and is delivered in partnership with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall Council.

Environmental Growth

Environmental Growth is about increasing the amount and quality of environmental goods and services for the benefit of everyone.  Environmental goods include things like food, fuel, water, timber and other raw materials, whilst services include pollination, climate regulation, soil formation, and waste disposal.

Environmental Growth means creating the space and conditions for more abundant, productive and healthier habitats, species and natural systems. These, in turn, improve the lives of people as well as the resilience of businesses and communities.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have a vision that in 2065 our environment will be naturally diverse, beautiful and healthy, supporting a thriving society, prosperous economy and abundance of wildlife. The county’s Environmental Growth Strategy, the first of its kind, was launched in 2016 and aims to ensure that Cornwall achieves this vision by encouraging businesses, communities and individuals to work together to increase environmental, social and economic prosperity in Cornwall

Our team can help you:

1 Reduce your waste & cut energy usage
2 Improve the environment
3 Save time
4 Grow your business

FAQs

  • What is circular economy?

    Circular economy is about moving away from the prevailing throwaway culture and finding ways to make better use of our resources. A circular economy strives to maintain the value of materials and products for as long as possible, minimise waste and resource use, create new values from products when they reach the end of their life, and reduce negative environmental impacts and instead contribute to environmental growth.

    The circular economy increases resource efficiency by closing loops of resource flows. Adopting circular economy practices has direct benefits for companies, such as:

    Greater resource supply security and cost stability
    Access to new markets and sources of income
    Brand protection
    Reduced waste management costs
    Meeting increasingly stringent and sometimes punitive regulations

    Half of business leaders in the world are already looking to join the circular economy, from multi-nationals to SMES and new start-ups.

    However, embedding circular economy practices into business operations is not without challenges. Knowledge about circular economy and available technologies may be limited, and it can be difficult to find time to inventory the necessary details for an informed decision. Accessing capital for circular economy innovations can also pose a hurdle. Finding customers for waste outputs or reliable suppliers of recovered resources isn’t always straightforward either. Often new collaborations are required when joining the circular economy.

    Tevi can support companies to overcome these challenges and help them to capitalise on the business opportunities offered by the circular economy.