Major Commendations 2012
Presented at The Lincoln Centre, London on 20 June 2012 by Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority.
MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways
CO2 reduction and environmental managementg
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Emma Perry, Sustainability and SHEA Manager.
Founded in 2007, MGWSP is a joint venture between May Gurney and WSP. It works for the public sector and offers a full highways service including design, delivery and maintenance.
Environmental management is embedded into MGWSP’s business model through its integrated management system (IMS) and is demonstrated by its ISO 14001:2004 certification.
In Northamptonshire, MGWSP works as a fully integrated services partnership between MGWSP and Northamptonshire County Council (MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways).Since the start contract in 2008, MGWSP has strived to reduce the carbon emissions associated with its operations. However, the introduction of the Sustainability Budget in 2010 enabled the company to implement initiatives to help it meet its targets.
MGWSP, led by its in-house environmental team, has worked with Northamptonshire County Council and subcontractors to help achieve its goals, and develop its robust IMS, which drives its environmental ambitions.
Innovations include:
Gully dewatering bays - although not a new concept, they had not been used in Northamptonshire before. These divert an entire waste stream from landfill, reduce the number of vehicles on the road and produce a useful commodity (compost).
Sustainability budget - a budget was allocated for use on sustainable initiatives. A percentage of the financial payback of these was used for the budget the following year - the ultimate ‘Sustainable Budget’.
Environmental compliance and improvement is embedded in the company through the IMS. Engagement with staff, supply chain, customers and stakeholders are essential elements to MGWSP’s ‘one-team approach’. In addition, environmental ‘away days’ are an important way of delivering key messages to, and sharing best practice with, staff and members of the supply chain. Subcontractor environmental targets are to be introduced to ensure that all are striving for the same goals.
Since the start of the contract:
Carbon emissions have been reduced by more than 40%.
The recycling rate has increased from 96.1% (average) to over 99% for the last 24 months.
Annual savings of just under £145,000 have resulted from the innovations that have been implemented
MGWSP is constantly striving to improve its environmental performance. It has set rigorous targets of zero waste to landfill by 2014 and further carbon reductions. It is also implementing a new monitoring database to provide more detailed analysis of its environmental data.
‘We are delighted to be recognised by BCE for the way we manage environmental risks and our passion for sustainability. It shows that every step helps us reach our environmental goals.’
Emma Perry, Sustainability & SHEA Manager.
"MGWSP have demonstrated an impressive commitment and an integrated approach to improving its environmental performance. They have delivered efficiencies and developed an added-value approach to the services they provide to Northamptonshire County Council."
Tim Pinder, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact:
npeet@mgwsp.co.uk
www.mgwsp.co.uk
To see the MGWSP video click here.
The Less Packaging Company
Love packaging, hate waste – children’s toy packaging design optimisation project
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Greg Lawson, MD.
The Less Packaging Company (LESS) was founded in 2010 and has grown to become a leading packaging optimisation consultancy focused on removing waste from packaging and the supply chain. It employs 20 talented people globally and already has profitable operating companies in London, Hong Kong and Delhi.
As well as its concern for the legacy that we leave future generations, LESS considers the economic impact of all packaging. There are 60 million of us in the UK, each spending £470 on packaging every year. LESS wondered why all businesses do not look more closely at their contribution to this £28 billion total.
This project, led by Greg Lawson, one of LESS’s founding partners, involved working closely with Tesco to redesign the packaging for a range of children’s pre-school toys. Not only was a 15% weight and 5% volume saving achieved, but other waste was also designed out. This included removing metal screws, plastic ties and plastic windows while making the packs supply-chain and consumer friendly (i.e. eye-catching, easy to navigate, minimal, viable, safe, secure, frustration-free, sustainable and recyclable).
The toys and packaging are manufactured in the Far East where LESS’s Hong Kong team partners work with the retailer’s local sourcing office and its supply base to ensure packaging is designed and produced ‘right first time’. Consumers dislike waste and the frustration of removing fiddly plastic and metal ties commonly found in toy and gift packaging. This project enabled LESS to apply its ‘pre-cycling’ design ethos, considering product and packaging environmentally and commercially from ‘cradle to cradle’. Clients include other leading retail groups and global brand owners.
‘LESS is proud of its reputation and unbiased approach, which analyses product and packaging holistically. We listen carefully to clients and apply a creative, pragmatic and organised approach to inventing, communicating and implementing optimised packaging solutions.’
Greg Lawson, anaging Partner, The Less Packaging Company Ltd.
"Taking on the challenge of minimising wasteful packing surrounding children’s toys is a huge step in the right direction. The passion and commitment to reducing waste through design that the Less Packaging company team demonstrated on my visit was refreshing to see."
Helen Hall, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact:
more@lesspackaging.net
To see the Less Packaging Company video click here.
Vegware Ltd
Compostable packaging for the catering industry
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Joe Frankel, Founder and MD.
Founded in 2006, Vegware is a food packaging firm whose products are completely compostable. The company has 16 employees and is on target for sales of £4 million in 2012. Its products are aimed principally at the catering and hospitality sectors with clients ranging from independent cafes to multinational contract caterers.
Everything Vegware sells is certified compostable and is suitable for recycling with food waste. In the catering and hospitality sectors, it is often not possible to separate food and packaging waste which results in both going to landfill. Vegware’s approach means that the packaging and food waste can be captured together and diverted from landfill. As food waste decomposes in landfill and leads to fugitive emissions of methane, which has a global warming impact of over 20 times that of carbon dioxide, this has considerable benefit. Vegware’s products also use recycled materials where possible.
Vegware embeds environmental auditing into its customer service. It is driving the wider awareness of environmental issues with its communications activities and is creating positive feedback for caterers who introduce sustainable practices. The company is supporting its clients’ corporate social responsibility activities, enhancing their ability to report and boosting their business. Since February 2010, Vegware has been calculating the environmental impact of every order and showing the details on its sales invoices. Typical information provided includes:
Virgin material saved - many of the products are made from recycled material. Vegware tracks the total weight of non-virgin material used for each order.
Potential landfill diversion - with landfill now more expensive than organics recycling, diverting food and packaging waste from landfill saves money. Vegware believes it is important to understand the amount of material that can find new benefits after use and how much landfill tax can be avoided.
The next development for Vegware is to help its UK customers further with its Food Waste Network. This is a new initiative to map organics recycling services and ‘matchmake’ any UK business with its ideal food waste recycling service. It will be launched in summer 2012.
‘We are delighted to win such a prestigious environmental award. It is great recognition for the hard work and innovation that’s gone into becoming the UK’s first and only completely compostable packaging firm.’
Joe Frankel, MD and founder of Vegware.
"Not only are Vegware passionate about their product and the environment, they are also passionate about their customers helping the environment too. There is clear evidence that Vegware are ‘more than just a business’ and are really engaging with their customers, staff and the local community to affect positive environmental change."
Iain Gullan, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact:
To see the Vegware Ltd video click here.
De Beers UK Ltd
Implementation of Eco-design in the design and development of proprietary diamond technology
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Luke Smith, Mechanical Engineer.
De Beers was founded in 1888 and is the world’s leading diamond company. It employs 16,000 people and has an annual turnover of over 7 billion US dollars.
The De Beers’ Research Centre, in Maidenhead develops and manufactures innovative, advanced, technological solutions for the sorting and grading of diamonds. When ISO 14001 and sustainability considerations were first introduced into the company ethos, managers at the Research Centre took the opportunity to review all environmental procedures and impacts. Given the company’s philosophy of making environmental issues a major business objective, they wanted this to be more than a corporate compliance issue. Instead, they aimed to be leading rather than reactive and implement best practice across the board.
The first stage of this evolving commitment was to introduce an ‘Environmental Impact Plan’ (EIP) into the research and development stage of projects. The initial aim was to implement a checklist or procedure for engineers to use during design. However, through discussions and initial learning, the EIP was developed further, making it the cornerstone of ongoing and future developments.
By encouraging and allowing project teams to own the EIP, they continually and discreetly challenge their decisions at stages of the development lifecycle. The EIP helps drive innovation in product design and operability while addressing direct and indirect environmental impacts. Examples of the challenges include:
Have the least labour and energy intensive manufacturing processes, along with suitable materials, been chosen?
Have assembly and disassembly procedures been simplified through unification, and minimisation, of components to ensure the shortest amount of time in manufacture?
Has the use of hazardous materials been minimised or ‘designed out’?
Has a streamlined approach to procurement been taken?
This philosophy and approach has been embraced by all project teams allowing real benefits to be realised,
while continuous strides towards even more innovative and sustainable designs have been made.
The following improvements were achieved for one instrument:
30% reduction in hazardous substance use.
50% reduction in overall size and time spent in manufacture.
60% reduction in high energy-consuming manufacturing processes (e.g. computer numerical controlled machining).
20% reduction in the number of parts.
20% increase in recoverable parts.
‘Our drive, focus and energy stimulates innovation not only in what we produce, but also in the methodology and processes used to produce the finished products.’
Dr Simon Lawson, Director of Research and Development, De Beers UK Ltd.
"Introduction of eco-design at DeBeers has changed the whole philosophy of product design and engaged all staff and the supply chain. It demonstrates UK leadership in a group which is centralised in another Continent."
Dr Richard Burns, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact:
luke.smith@dtc.com
www.debeersgroup.com
To see the De Beers video click here.
Euro Payment Systems Ltd
Vending and cooler power optimisation at Oxford Brookes University
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to John Bailey, Director.
Euro Payment Systems Ltd (EPS) was founded in March 2001 and has one full-time employee. It provides payment systems and energy reduction sevices for vending and gaming machines throughout Europe. The company strives to make efficiency savings by recycling everything it can and avoiding unnecessary travel.
This project was initiated following a call in March 2011 from Oxford Brookes University’s energy manager, Gavin Hodgson, enquiring about how energy could be saved on the numerous vending machines across the various campuses of Oxford Brookes University. It was agreed to conduct a trial using an energy saving device, VendingMiser®, to assess the likely savings in a university environment. The trial involved monitoring two types of machine to prove the concept and then scaling up the measured benefits for the whole university. Trials showed that, for each machine, annual average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could be reduced by around 0.5 tonnes and electricity costs savings worth £100 could be achieved. After this, a plan to install 82 VendingMisers® and 4 PlugMisers® was developed and approved by the university and the various machine suppliers who own the equipment that the Misers were to be attached to. The project was completed in July 2011.
The key aspects of this project were to:
Ensure the temperature of the vended product was maintained to within a few degrees of the normal operating temperature of the machine, thus avoiding 'warm’ chilled drinks and limp chocolate!
Prevent any damage to the machine compressors through short cycling, which can occur if refrigerated equipment is repeatedly turned off while the compressor is running. Switching the machines only when the compressor is off also ensures an improved lifetime for the machine and fewer maintenance call outs.
Ensure no sales were lost due to equipment being unavailable while customers were around to buy from the machines.
The complexities of the site owners not owning the equipment to which the Misers were to be fitted meant that EPS’s environmental leadership was required to convince all stakeholders that the project was worthwhile from environmental and financial viewpoints.
The project’s headline savings were:
Annual CO2 emissions reduced by 44 tonnes.
Electricity costs reduced by £9,000/year.
Payback in under 2 years.
‘We are absolutely delighted to have been recognised by the BCE Awards for our Miser project. It is great to have our project reviewed and recognised by industry professionals.’
John Bailey, Director, Euro Payment Systems Ltd.
"Europayment systems have shown commitment by identifying an area where energy is wasted and then following through to implementation and measuring a real cost and environmental savings. They were helped by a forward thinking and committed client at Oxford Brookes University, which allowed demonstration of the success."
Dr Martin Gibson, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact :
john@europaymentsystems.co.uk
www.vendingmiser.co.uk
To see the Euro Payments System video click here.
Mantle Panel Ltd
Mantle® Building System©
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Tor Høie, Director.
Mantle Panel Ltd is an SME that was founded in 2001. It develops, manufactures and supplies the Mantle® Building System©, a modern method of construction. It also provides advice so clients can confidently deliver future-proofed and exceptionally energy efficient buildings, thereby cutting carbon emissions, reducing costs and creating local employment.
With legislation extending to reduce operational and embodied carbon emissions, the Mantle Building System reduces ongoing carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy consumption for temperature control in buildings by over 90% using appropriate mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) systems. Using lightweight, inert, composite materials, the System has the lowest embodied carbon footprint of any building system as analysed by WS Atkins.
The embodied CO2 equivalent (CO2e) levels of the System compare well with that of other build solutions – structural timber (29%), structural concrete (29%), high-strength concrete (25%), brick (12%) and steel (0.7%).
The standard components of the System can be used for the entire range of Codes for Sustainable Homes (CfSH). The weatherproof Mantle single-skin system (no cavity required) can be rendered, clad and tiled as appropriate meeting all aesthetic design considerations. All system components are recyclable and can be made into new Mantle Building System components. The structures retain the insulation values and other qualities throughout their life.
The system is ‘superinsulated’ (down to a U-value of 0.10 or better) and air permeability is better than 1m3/hour/m2@50Pa air ingress. The acoustic insulation is equally impressive at 60 dB+ making the system ideal for apartment blocks and other multi-occupancy buildings such as schools, offices and hotels.
The British-engineered, manufactured and patented Green Guide A+ Mantle Building System can be assembled with semi-skilled labour (under supervision) with minimal requirements for traditional wet trades (e.g. bricklayers and plasterers).
The System is designed to complement a designer’s intentions while surpassing environmental considerations. Bowmer & Kirkland chose the system for its successful bid to build 55 schools as part of the Derbyshire ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme. The Mantle Team provides design-oriented advice in regards to a holistic approach for solutions that improve CfSH and multiple standard industry calculation models to meet or exceed planning requirements.
On-site assembly is quick and built-in energy efficiencies of the System are in excess of existing or future ratings guidelines. This gives designers better-than-compliant solutions and achieves more for less. The lightweight nature of the system requires less foundation mass, spoil cart-away and landfill use.
‘The Mantle Building System delivers an affordable and environmentally responsible solution to the challenges facing the building industry today by reducing capital, running and whole-life costs.’
Tor Hoie, Director, Mantle Panel Ltd.
"I was very impressed with the simplicity of the Mantle Building System as it delivers a thoroughly tested and certified solution for walls and roofs applicable across the built environment. This frameless, load-bearing system uses ‘super-insulated’, composite materials and provides a tried and tested ,cost-effective, green, and flexible structural solution."
Dr Neil Varey, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact :
Tor@mantlepanel.com
www.mantlepanel.com
To see the Mantle Panel video click here.
The Wool Packaging Company Ltd
Woolcool – genuinely sustainable insulated packaging
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Angela Morris, CEO.
The Wool Packaging Company Ltd is based in Shropshire and was established in 2009 by Angela Morris. The company leads the way in designing and developing sustainable, biodegradable and recyclable insulated packaging to replace some of the 560 million cubic metres of polystyrene and polyethylene used globally for packaging, the majority of which ends up in landfill and takes centuries to degrade.
Angela was already an award-winning packaging designer when she turned her attention to insulated packaging and struck on wool as the perfect raw material. She identified how the hygroscopic fibres are very effective at maintaining constant temperatures, and are flexible, cushioning and compostable. These attributes make wool naturally better than man-made insulation. By washing, scouring and needle felting the wool, without using harmful chemicals, insulation material is created. This is then hygienically sealed in micro-perforated recyclable film as re-usable liners for boxes, envelopes and pouches.
Initially designed as insulated packaging for The National Trust’s tenant farmers to deliver chilled farm-shop products, the concept was branded ‘Woolcool’ and introduced to customers across the UK as a sustainable alternative to polystyrene. Woolcool products are now used by some of the biggest names in the direct delivery food sector.
Significantly, the delivery of chilled food products is just the tip of the iceberg. The impressive results Woolcool achieves in keeping chilled contents consistently cooler for longer make it the ideal packaging material for all kinds of temperature-sensitive products, including pharmaceuticals. The Wool Packaging Company is continuing to design and develop insulated packaging solutions for the global healthcare market sectors.
The company continues continues to grow. In 2012, it was awarded a grant from the UK Government to carry out further research into insulated packaging for the pharmaceutical sector to tackle the global problem of vaccine wastage due to shortcomings in existing insulated packaging.
The benefits of Woolcool as a packaging material include:
It is sustainable, biodegradable and compostable.
It not only outperforms polystyrene as a packaging material, but has the potential to replace vast quantities disposed of to landfill.
It revolutionises cold-chain delivery of temperature-sensitive products.
It keeps temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products between 2°C and 8°C for over 72 hours.
‘We’re very proud that the BCE Awards has recognised our environmental leadership in creating innovative, sustainable packaging that outperforms man-made alternatives and helps our customers rise to the challenge of today’s environmental responsibilities.’
Angela Morris, CEO, The Wool Packaging Company Ltd.
"I am delighted to give them the well-deserved recognition for this innovative packing solution using a “traditional” material that a very small company has conceived, researched, developed, and brought to market that is equally or outperforming the current oil-based alternatives."
Barry Smith, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact:
Keith@thewoolpackagingcompany.com
www.thewoolpackagingcompany.com
To download the Wool Packaging presentation (31MB) click here.
Anglian Water @one Alliance
The @one Alliance Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Strategy
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Davide Stronati, @one Alliance Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Manager.
The @one Alliance core business is to design and construct water and wastewater treatment plants for Anglian Water, and maintain and improve the pipe network of the region. It has more than 1,000 employees and £1 billion budget for the 2010/15
period.
At the end of 2009, @one Alliance developed a Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Strategy, which is structured in a framework of ten areas with accountabilities and responsibilities owned by the business units.
All areas work in close collaboration with each other to implement the CR&S Strategy and to achieve objectives set in the 2010/15 @one Alliance business plan. Two of the four main performance targets are linked to environmental measures (50% reduction in the embodied carbon of assets and a 20% reduction in their operational carbon).
A fundamental and innovative part of the CR&S Strategy success is based on the sustainability leadership model. The CR&S Manager reports directly to the @one Alliance Director on a fortnightly basis and to the Board every two months. The overall CR&S vision has been determined by the Board and senior management team.
Nonetheless, it is the CR&S team that provides input on the determination of commitments, leading the actual implementation phase through a non-hierarchical and self-organisational way. Consequently, all levels of the organisation have ownership of their respective CR&S area, providing individual and team development while delivering the ambitious CR&S targets.
The behavioural shift of the CR&S Strategy led to remarkable results in the environmental indicators between April 2011 and March 2012:
35% reduction in embodied carbon and 80% lower operational carbon.
30% estimated reduction in waste production and 99% of waste diverted from landfill.
No pollution accidents and no infringements on protected species.
Two full days of health, safety and environment induction training for all employees.
Ongoing engagement with the company’s top 50 suppliers on sustainability, carbon management and the environment.
Financial results for the last couple of years show that delivering the asset programme with less embodied carbon and waste is accompanied by a similar trend in reducing costs, proving the strength of the business model based on lower carbon content and more efficient processes.
‘Delivering sustainable assets for Anglian Water is our main responsibility. Being shortlisted for the BCE Awards is a fantastic recognition that we embed sustainability in all that we do.’
Dale Evans, @one Alliance Director.
"I loved the way @OneAlliance is delivering its environmental goals by engaging the teams in every area, making it clear that environment runs through the heart of its business."
Richard Busby, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact:
dstronati@anglianwater.co.uk
www.anglianwater.co.uk
To see the @one Alliance video click here.
Greenworks
The Greenworks Training Academy
Sir John Armitt (right) presenting the award to Marcus Jefford, Greenworks Academy Manager.
Developed by Jewson, Graham, Gibbs & Dandy and Minster, the Greenworks Training Academy has grown to become the UK’s recognised authority and market expert in sustainable building solutions for it's customers. The Greenworks Training Academy offers unbiased training and consultancy, providing in-depth advice and support on the full range of sustainable solutions as well as an authoritative voice on the green agenda.
The Greenworks Training Academy is the result of a £500,000 investment by Jewson and its sister brands. It demonstrates the companies’ commitment to training to ensure professional tradesmen and internal staff have the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of a sustainable building agenda.
A truly innovative facility, the Greenworks Training Academy is the first of its kind for the construction industry and provides a 1,400 square metre, multi-purpose training space where 60 professionals can be trained at one time. The Greenworks Team works closely with customers to develop new courses designed to target specific requirements and reflect changes in Government legislation.
Furthermore, to complement the practical training on offer, the Greenworks E-Learning Gateway was launched in 2011. Customers and staff can access 120 hours of free, online modules covering a range of sustainable products and solutions, renewable energy technologies, market drivers and legislation updates.
Working in partnership with manufacturers and customers, the Greenworks Training Academy has helped customers to break into new sustainability markets through training and accreditation. This is particularly true in the energy market where a number of customers now offer solar PV installation. Customers are forming new businesses, extending existing services, and reaping the rewards of their training and accreditation by securing major contracts in this rapidly changing market, while offering a fuller service to their own customers.
With the launch of the Greenworks Training Academy, Jewson and its sister brands have acted for the good of the industry and shown true environmental leadership.
The results since the Greenworks Training Academy opened its doors in January 2011 include:
Over 3,000 staff trained.
Over 1,500 customers trained.
30,000 hours of training carried out.
10 new courses added in 2012.
‘We set out to provide the training, skills and education needed to support the delivery of the sustainable building agenda and the Greenworks Academy remains at the heart of this initiative.’
Marcus Jefford, Greenworks Academy Manager.
"Engaging with customers through the Greenworks Academy isn’t just good business sense - these customers are going to go out and install kit that will deliver real environment improvements."
Richard Busby, BCE Awards Judge.
To find out more about this project, please contact:
marcus.jefford@greenworks.co.uk
www.greenworks.co.uk
To see the Greenworks video click here.