2009 - Avon Metals Ltd
2009 - Boss Design Limited
2009 - Scottish Seabird Centre
2008 - Greenham Common Community Trust Ltd
2008 - Green-Works
2008 - InterfaceFLOR
2008 - ScotAsh Limited
2008 - Permanent Publications
2007 - Crest Nicholson PLC
2007 - Fibercore Limited
2006 - Traidcraft plc
2005 - Adnams
2005 - Clinton Devon Estates
2005 - Country Lanes
2005 - The Venus Company


Avon Metals Ltd

Avon Metals Ltd received the Queen's Award for Sustainable Development for its progressive governance and innovative measures, which it has put in place to promote sustainability, and in so doing, promote best practice within its sector.

Refusing to just rely on a 'we recycle' mantra to demonstrate commitment to sustainable development, Avon have instead developed a comprehensive continuous improvement strategy to ensure and deliver ambitious environmental sustainability governance.

Focussing upon a range of broad and ambitious sustainability indicators, Avon's 20:20 initiative presents a truly rounded, and increasingly effective, approach to sustainable development which sets a laudable benchmark for others within their sector. Operating in the challenging context of metals recycling, Avon's innovation commitment to achieving 'total sustainability' and sharing of its knowledge amongst like-minded companies, places them at the forefront of sustainability within their marketplace.

Business: Metals recycling
Location: Gloucester
Employees: 60

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Boss Design Limited

Boss Design is a worthy recipient of the Queen's Award for Sustainable Development as it has shown a commitment to embedding sustainability through the life-cycle of its range of furniture products, as well as its operational activities.

The company has sought to address all aspects of its business activity, to enhance not only the environmental sustainability of its products and operations, but also deliver tangible socio-economic benefits to its stakeholders.

The company demonstrates the breadth and scope of initiatives which companies are encouraged to engage in, to progress the broad sustainability agenda. Its combination of both global and local sustainability management and strong leadership in communicating the success of their approach to other companies also provides a beacon to the rest of the industry, highlighting the standard and scale of activity which it is hoped all will aspire to.

Business: Sustainable Office Furniture
Location: West Midlands
Employees: 205

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Scottish Seabird Centre

The Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick is an award-winning five star visitor attraction on the East Lothian coast which has become a model of sustainable tourism for visitor attractions internationally, winning the Queen's Award for its sustainable best practice.

The Centre is a world leader in remote wildlife viewing, bringing people close to nature to view seabirds and marine wildlife, without disturbing the animals. An array of twelve state-of-the-art solar powered cameras are located on island and coastal sites around the wildlife rich area of the Firth of Forth, which beam back live pictures to a virtual viewing hub at North Berwick harbour. The Centre also promotes sustainability in its operations, for example, by providing a green travel plan for visitors and creating local jobs, helping to regenerate the historic harbour area of the town and boosting the local economy by attracting tourists to East Lothian.

The Seabird Centre is an independent education and conservation charity which has the support of over 300 volunteers working in all areas of the attraction, including guiding visitors, organising fundraising events and working on the Centre's conservation and education projects, such as the SOS Puffin project to save the puffins on the nearby islands of Craigleith and Fidra.

Tom Brock OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre comments, "We are delighted to win the Queen's Award again this year. Winning the Queen's Award in 2004 was a major achievement for us and we feel honoured to have won it again in 2009. It has played a major part in raising our profile and helping to establish the Scottish Seabird Centre internationally as a centre for excellence in sustainable tourism and I would recommend any company to try to achieve this prestigious award."

Business: visitor centre
Location: Scotland
Employees: 35

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Greenham Common Community Trust Ltd

Known globally as a base for nuclear weapons and the peace protests that it attracted, RAF Greenham Common was declared redundant in 1992. 750-acres, including the runways, were then restored as common land which reopened to the public in 2000 and the remaining 150-acres of the airbase were retained to be regenerated as a business park - New Greenham Park, the management of which generates an over £2 million annually that is distributed to local charitable projects.

In excess of £8.5 million has been distributed to local organisations, charities, educational and environmental projects. This has enabled significant improvements to the environment and aided social progress by creating opportunities for the whole community.

The Queen's Award For Enterprise: Sustainable Development has been a great benefit, helping to bring awareness of the Trust and its work at the business park to an international audience.

Business: Community Trust
Location: Berkshire
Employees: 16

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Green-Works

Winners of the Queen's Award for Sustainability 2008 Green-Works is a pioneering environmental charity and social enterprise that recycles redundant office furniture on an industrial scale.

Set up in 2000 Green-Works has helped hundreds of companies, working with them to remove and dispose of their old furniture responsibly, diverting it from landfill in the process. Green-Works sell on recycled office furniture to a range of small businesses and not-for-profit organisations or recycles the component materials. As a cutting edge environmental initiative Green-Works is also the first company to manufacture a whole range of "new" office furniture made entirely from reclaimed materials - thereby ensuring that their clients can be green and still maintain very high standards. Colin Crooks, CEO and founder, of Green-Works hopes the award will raise awareness and generate support for the company's work:

'The award is a tribute to both the company's success and also the wider impact that its work has had on the environment and people in the community. One of the projects of which the company is most proud, is our work in Africa where Green-Works is providing furniture and equipment for schools, businesses and community buildings. Supporting this drive are some of our corporate clients who have helped with the expensive process of shipping the furniture to Africa. We hope that the award will increase the profile of this work and add validity as we call for more support through corporate donations and sponsorship from other likeminded businesses to help ensure the continued success of this amazing project.'

Business: Manufacture of surplus furniture
Location: Middlesex
Employees: 61

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InterfaceFLOR

For the second time in the company's history, InterfaceFLOR has won a Queen's Award for sustainable development. InterfaceFLOR is the modular flooring division of Interface Inc. and a worldwide leader in the production of environmentally-responsible modular floor coverings.

The company was honoured for its 'Mission Zero' - a promise to have a zero environmental footprint by 2020. Continual investment in sustainable business practices and manufacturing processes has ensured that InterfaceFLOR is on target to meet its goal, having already achieved an 82% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and more than $372 million saving in avoided waste costs.

Lindsey Parnell, President and CEO of InterfaceFLOR (EMEAI) said, "There are a number of business awards in the UK, but the Queen's Award is one of, if not the most prestigious. To be honoured in this way is testament to the ongoing commitment of everyone within InterfaceFLOR to put sustainability at the core of our business."

Business: Modular Flooring
Location: Shelf, Halifax, West Yorkshire; Craigavon, Northern Ireland
Employees: 403

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ScotAsh Limited

ScotAsh, a joint venture between Lafarge Cement and ScottishPower, is one of the UK's leading suppliers of green construction products. The company, based at Longannet Power Station in Scotland, uses the ash from coal-fired power stations to manufacture cements, grouts and waste stabilisation products.

Because its raw material is a by-product, ScotAsh's products are sustainable. They conserve natural aggregates - and by replacing carbon intensive materials such as Portland cement, they save CO2 emissions.

During the last five years ScotAsh has conserved around 3.5 million tonnes of primary aggregates, avoided the need to landfill three million tonnes of ash - and by displacing materials with a higher carbon burden, it has saved more than 180,000 tonnes of CO2.

Ash direct from the power station can be of variable quality, so ScotAsh uses electrostatic separation technology to remove carbon from the ash, leaving a fine, mineral powder that can be used in CE marked products.

In 2007 the company broke through the million tonne sales barrier for the first time, selling 1.1 million tonnes of products. ScotAsh products have been used in many major projects including windfarms, tunnels, bridges, harbours and roads. New developments this year include a contract to supply grout to the velodrome for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Working in partnership with Scottish universities and other expert partners, ScotAsh continues to develop new uses for PFA.

The company has developed hydraulic and pozzolanic binders that enable road planings to be milled, stabilised and re-used, conserving high-grade stone, reducing vehicle movements and minimising disposal of road waste to landfill.

ScotAsh has won two Queen's Awards for Enterprise (Innovation in 2005 and Sustainable Development in 2008)

Business: Production of sustainable construction materials
Location: Clackmannanshire
Employees: 23

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Permanent Publications

Winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category has had many benefits for our company.

Firstly, it was a wonderfully positive affirmation of our work in Sustainable Development and a great morale boost for all the team.

Secondly, it has enhanced our reputation. Permaculture Magazine, one of our international publications, has subsequently tripled our distribution with WHSmith. For the first time in our publishing careers, we have had features in our industry magazine, The Bookseller, leading to advance notice in our new titles and increased awareness and sales of our current list. As a result we have been approached by a leading book and magazine distributor who wish to handle our list. The announcement of the award has also coincided with increased advertising revenue for Permaculture Magazine.

Business: Environmental Publisher
Location: Hampshire
Employees: 7

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Crest Nicholson PLC

Crest Nicholson PLC received the Award in 2007 for its continuous achievement in the delivery of sustainable homes and community regeneration. The company has demonstrated a strong sustainability performance across all its operations, with particular strengths in its environmental performance. The company has striven to reduce its ecological footprint through a range of measures aimed at minimising consumption of materials, increasing energy efficiency and reducing its waste and CO2 emissions. The company was commended on its engagement with stakeholders at the research and strategy level but also with respect to individual project development. The company has also worked to enhance the sustainability performance of its suppliers, integrating sustainable procurement criteria into tenders. It has also received recognition by WWF for its sustainability performance, as part of their ‘One Million Sustainable Homes Campaign’.

Business: Sustainable homes and community regeneration
Location: Surrey
Employees: 787

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Fibercore Limited

Fibercore Ltd received two Queen’s Awards in 2007 for Sustainable Development and International Trade. The Sustainable Development Award was granted for their outstanding advance in the successful implementation and promotion of a cost-effective sustainability programme across their operations; the production and development of speciality optical fibres. The company has striven to embed sustainability well beyond the typical practises of a manufacturing company of its size. It has also evidenced an ongoing commitment to maximise the benefits it can bring to wider community stakeholders. Particularly commendable, is the company’s provision of facilities, resources and training to several educational initiatives in local schools and universities, both within the UK and developing countries within which it operates. Fibercore Limited has also engaged in initiatives aimed at disseminating best practice across the UK and more widely, in international industry. Fibercore also won an Innovation Award in 2004, making it the first business unit to hold Queen’s Awards in all three business Award categories.

Business: Production and development of speciality optical fibres
Location: Hampshire
Employees: 26

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Traidcraft plc

Traidcraft plc offers the widest range of fairly traded products in the UK. In 2006, it received a Queen's Award for Sustainable Development. The company advocates fair trade as being integral to sustainable development and ensures ethical, transparent business practice between all parties.

Amongst Traidcraft's sustainable practices is a strong commitment to developing long-term relationships with producers, thus providing stability and security of trading; and a policy of sourcing as much produce as possible from the developing world through direct purchasing from these countries. It also uses 100% renewable energy at its headquarters building.

"We are delighted to receive a Queen's Award, which we see as powerful independent recognition of the value and quality of our work both as a trading company and as an organisation committed to fighting poverty through trade," said chief executive Paul Chandler. "This Award demonstrates the business case for more sustainable approaches to business.

"Winning a Queen's Award has brought immediate benefits, not just in terms of boosting the morale of staff and other supporters of our mission, but in underpinning our credibility when we advocate greater corporate social responsibility and fairer trading terms for the poor. Within weeks of the Award being announced, it was evident that many of the major companies with whom we were discussing responsible purchasing practices, had noticed the Award and were listening to what we had to say."

Business: Fair trade goods
Location: North East
Employees: 140

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Adnams

A values-based approach to business management as brewer, wine merchant and hotelier has earned Adnams plc a Queen's Award for Sustainable Development. Based in Southwold in Suffolk, it has made significant improvements to the environmental impacts of brewing such as energy, water and materials consumption, and improved the emissions associated with logistics. It has also demonstrated a clear commitment to employee satisfaction and wellbeing.

"The Award helps to strengthen all of our relationships," says Simon Loftus, Chairman. "We're a values-driven business, and at the heart of this is a sense of employee pride, which is greatly boosted by the Queen's Award.

"Our values-driven approach means that we are also viewed with respect and affection by customers, suppliers and the local community, and the Award enhances this and raises our profile.

"We had entered before, and the feedback we received on our application about how to improve our entry was fantastically valuable - it made us look at our processes and systems from a different perspective."

Business: brewer, wine merchant and hotelier
Location: East
Employees: 308

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Clinton Devon Estates

Clinton Devon Estates wins the Award for the integration of sustainable business management practices into the running of its 500-year-old estate. Among other initiatives, it follows best practice standards such as those set by the Forestry Stewardship Council and Countryside Stewardship Scheme, enhances biodiversity, minimises waste and demonstrates a clear commitment to the local community.

"Winning the Award has undoubtedly had a very positive effect on a regional and national level, within the local community and across all the Estate team," says Estates Director John Varley.

"On a regional and national level, it puts not only our Estate but other land-based businesses within a different framework. It demonstrates that we deliver significant social, economic and environmental benefits, which is sometimes forgotten. Regionally too, it reinforces what we provide to the area - landscape, biodiversity, public access, opportunities for small businesses and so on. We are seen as a serious player and so gain more influence on policy development within the region.

"Within the community it is also very positive as it reinforces in people's minds the benefits we bring and strengthens their support for the Estate. Finally, it's a great motivator for our staff at all levels, which is particularly important when it comes to recruitment and retention of high quality people."

Business: estate management
Location: South West
Employees: 77

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Country Lanes

Country Lanes received the Award for developing a cycling holidays business which delivers all the benefits of tourism without the damaging effects of road traffic and pollution. With headquarters at Fordingbridge in Hampshire, its cycle hire centres are based at rural railway stations and over 80% of customers arrive by rail, eliminating one million car miles and reducing CO2 emissions by 328 tonnes a year.

"We're a small business and it gives us recognition, status and credibility," says Managing Director Susan Achmatowicz. "We deal a lot with public bodies - local government and sustainable funding partners, for example, and the Award opens doors for us. We operate in America, where the Queen's Award gives us the competitive edge.

"It's important for all partners - it's the whole credibility thing - it shows we pursue best practice and are leading edge.

"We were able to generate a huge amount of publicity at the time," he continues. "The Independent and The Times both covered us, and then The Times went on to feature us in the travel pages."

Business: cycling holidays
Location: South East
Employees: 8

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The Venus Company

Environmental and social considerations are part of every business decision at The Venus Company, which won the Award for its sustainable development credentials in operating beach cafés and shops serving some 5000 to 6000 people a day in season.

Highlights include environmental initiatives such as waste minimisation, local sourcing, elemental chlorine free kraft packaging, support for organic farming and comprehensive staff training. It also supports the local community and employs two people with special needs

"The strongest boost the Award gave to our business was within the industry - by which I mean tourism operators, government agencies and local authorities, as well as environmental groups," says Managing Director Michael Smith. "We had a reasonable reputation before, but these peer and regulatory groups probably have the highest awareness of how hard it is to achieve a Queen's Award, and so it really helps to enhance our reputation.

"For example, when I attend meetings talking about sustainability, I sense they are taking me more seriously, that I am being listened to and being seen as authoritative.

"It will also help to expand our business. If we decide we want to be at a particular beach, the Queen's Award will have a positive effect on how the landlord views us, and how they perceive our credibility as a potential client."

Business: beach cafés
Location: South West
Employees: 12 full-time, up to 35 part-time

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