ACE awards, conferences & exhibitions
BUSINESSES ARE SHOWCASING
THEIR SUCCESS THROUGH
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS
C
ommercial success is all about
being - and proving to be -
the best. Whatever the sector,
a business offering the best
service or the most outstanding
product - and effectively
reaching their prospective customers is what
equates to success. Of course marketing plays a
vital role in this as no one can buy or make use
of something that they don’t know exists.
Alongside the avenues of advertising and
traditional marketing, another great way to
promote a business is through entering awards.
Environmental awards are becoming an
increasingly common part of business life. As
the importance of corporate social responsibility independent accreditation by the RSA and citing contamination issues and transport costs
- and the way it is reported - is realised, supports wider use of awards to stimulate the as the barriers. However, with careful planning
businesses of all shapes and sizes are battling nation’s move towards sustainable production and a common sense approach we developed
against each other to demonstrate the extent of and ‘one planet living’. a simple and easily managed recycling scheme
their green credentials to their customers “The success of UK businesses in that has greatly reduced our impact on
and stakeholders. developing better products and services with the environment.”
Gaining recognition for these actions reduced environmental impacts is vital in Although recycling of container glass is
rewards business in every way - through proving our commitment to a more sustainable common place, flat glass is generally
increased sales and positive reputation - not to market in terms of production and considered to be too contaminated and too
mention internal morale boosting. From SME’s consumption,” says Defra’s Environment, expensive to recycle. Saint Gobain was
through to multi-nationals just taking part in Business and Consumers Division. determined to change this perception. To do
awards can boost a company’s profile - and Showcasing the UK’s pioneering position in this, they had to overcome the contamination
winning opens up all kinds of new markets in promoting sustainability and best practice in and transport issues. This meant ensuring that
the UK and Europe. energy efficiency can also bring opportunities customers kept damaged flat glass clean and
The recent EU enlargement has also played for organisations to expand into new internal or developing a system to transport the broken
a part in increased business interest in the European markets and promote UK glass back Saint Gobain on their delivery
environment as the extra 10-12 Eastern environmental expertise. Businesses benefit from vehicles. After months of development, they
European countries vying for trade has boosted involvement by receiving recognition for their produced “The Big Bag” which could be loaded
competition and made the search for efforts to improve their performance and show with over 1 tonne of broken glass cullet and
innovation even more critical. This has caused a customers and stakeholders that they are then fitted into Saint Gobain’s flat glass delivery
new boost for latest technology and committed to greening their products vehicles for return journeys. They then trained
encouraged businesses to strive to outdo each and activities. customers to use the bags and showed them
other in every way that they can. what constituted contaminants.
There are now so many environmental CASE STUDY - SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS “Winning this award has further
awards in the UK, that it can be very difficult Saint-Gobain’s Eggborough float glass demonstrated to our customers that Saint-
deciding which awards are best suited to a plant - crowned as the UK’s best factory in Gobain Glass UK is committed to improving
company or product. That is why the RSA (Royal September 2005 - won the ‘Process Award’ at the environment by means of increasing our
Society for the encouragement of Arts, the RSA accredited Business Commitment to the business efficiency and also helping to improve
Manufactures and Commerce) Environmental Environment Awards in recognition of the the efficiency of our customers business
Awards Forum has established a freely plant’s innovative flat glass cullet recycling however large or small. Also other glass
available and searchable database of UK scheme. This honour allows them eligibility to processing companies have joined our recycling
environmental and sustainable development the European Business Awards for the system and, as a result of the good service we
awards that provides comprehensive Environment in 2008. provide, purchased glass from us.”
information on over 400 individual schemes. Thanks to the scheme - which sees the Gary Barber, Furnace Manager, Saint
Organisers of award schemes can enter and company collecting and recycling its customers’ Gobain Glass UK set up the system to aid the
update information online. cullet - Saint-Gobain Glass has reduced its business but also to demonstrate to the UK
Users can identify the most consumption of raw materials by almost a glass recycling merchants that the quality of flat
appropriate scheme to enter by quarter and the plant’s energy use has been cut glass cullet can be raised to a standard high
searching under specific themes by over eight per cent. enough to become a feed material for float
and categories. The Yorkshire site is proud of its glass plants. He is proud that his system is now
The RSA Environmental environmental achievements. Alan being rolled out to all Saint Gobain float plants
Awards Forum is part-funded McLenaghan, Site Director at Eggborough, around the world, which will result in
by Defra, who wants to see said: “Flat Glass manufacturers have been environmental and efficiency improvements
more schemes seek reluctant to implement cullet recycling initiatives, globally.
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SUSTAINABLE FM | NOVEMBER 2007
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