This is first car manufacturing plant in the UK to achieve zero waste to landfill.  Toyota set this ‘5 year Dream-Goal’ 3 years ago and has delivered it 2 years ahead of schedule.  This meant eliminating the 8.5kg of waste generated per vehicle which was previously sent to landfill.  Achieving the goal required total involvement throughout the company, from individual responsibility and delivery on the shop floor, through to monitoring, improving and active involvement at senior management level including 'Green Patrols'.  In addition to the environmental benefits, business benefits of this reduction activity include cost reduction in material purchase, handling of products, treatment and disposal of products.  Toyota also had to collaborate with it suppliers to achieve this challenging target .

Latin America suffers many problems in terms of water availability, due to a wide variety of environmental and human factors including climate change, desiccation due to deforestation, drought, and pollution and population growth. Unilever has many manufacturing operations in this region and in many of processes water is an essential utility or ingredient. In response, Unilever issued a challenge to its sites to reduce their water imprint by 1,000,000m³. Hence, Project Medusa was born – a joint initiative between Unilever’s corporate environmental Group and the 17 foods manufacturing sites across Latin America. The project was launched in 2003 with a training course and workshop in Brazil, involving delegates from each of the sites. The key aspect of the workshop was that of knowledge sharing and building on the principle of “If only Unilever knew, what Unilever knows”.   The project is well on the way to delivering the target.

Sims Group was the first company to commission a Fridge Recycling Plant in the UK in July 2002. Further investment has seen the Fridge Plant grow to become the World’s biggest single site Fridge Recycling plant. Sims strategy was to ensure that the Fridge Recycling Plant addressed the following challenges (1) maximising Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS) recovery and material recovery for recycling, (2) minimising the negative impact of the plant on the environment and (3) maximising the efficiency of the site.  

This is a translucent glass fibre reinforced polyester roof light fitted with an acrylic tessellated prism panel.  Unlike other manufacturers who merely added a third layer of GRP sheeting to meet the legislation, we looked for a completely new solution.  The resulting panel meets or exceeds the requirements of current legislation and at the same time reduces solar gain, increases light diffusion and reduces noise pollution when compared to a normal triple skin roof light.  The technology was based upon panels made in the aerospace industry where they manufacture aluminium honeycomb panels for strength and lightness in aircraft structures.  The product works by creating a series of pockets that prevent the movement of the air within the roof light.  The tessellated prism also acts as a "lens" to improve the distribution of light to create an improved work environment when compared with traditional GRP roof lights.

This is the first project of its kind in the car insurance market.  It introduces environmental good practice into the service provider / supplier network (garages, glass repairers etc).  These typically viewed the environment as a cost rather than a business benefit. Through the development and implementation of an environmental supply chain management programme, Provident has shown the supplier networks the benefit of environmental good practice. As well as benefiting the environment, this has saved over £0.5 million - mostly through repairing not replacing parts. The project involved the Provident Engineers Department mentoring suppliers to provide a support mechanism and a point of contact in for advice and information.

"Print has a bad reputation in the UK – as being one of the worst environmental performers. As an industry it uses large amounts of power, paper, solvents, and generates copious amounts of waste, some of it hazardous. KAP has been greening up its operations since 1990. Firstly, it implemented “alcohol-free” technologies and then in 2000 switched to vegetable-based inks.  In 2005 KAP gained ISO14001 accreditation, and they installed one of the UK’s true “no process”  plate production facilities – where no chemistry or water is used, and no hazardous waste is generated. KAP also continues to purchase “renewable” power, promotes the use of materials with high post-consumer waste content to our customers, and encourages the use of our benign, recyclable aqueous coating rather than oil-based laminates or “UV” coating.

In 2001 Marley was the first company to be accredit its products under BRE’s Certified Environmental Profiles Scheme – this involves a full life cycle assessment of products.  By 2004 Marley had improved its products and was able to upgrade their certification under the scheme. As a result, Marley's products were awarded A ratings in the Green Guides to Specification.    Marley's products are produced in an environmentally responsible way and the environmental impact of Marley's products is kept to a minimum.  Marley is leading the way by having Life Cycle Assessment data for all of its products.   It is reducing the environmental impacts of its products and is influencing the supply chain by running CPD seminars on sustainable pitched roofing.

NWL has invested £34million constructing a new state-of-the-art Water Treatment Works at Wearhead, County Durham, right in the heart of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. From the outset, Northumbrian Water embarked on this scheme with a view that the construction of a water treatment facility in this environment should be an example of “best practice”. The project team set out to ensure that this landscape of national significance was not harmed by the implementation of the scheme. Furthermore, they sought to make a positive contribution to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by complementing its recreational and ecological initiatives in the area. The project responded to  extensive consultation with local councils, local residents, the Countryside Agency,  English Nature and the Environment Agency as well as other special interest groups.

It is crucial throughout manufacturing industry that microbiological growth is controlled within water systems. Prior to the Sonoxide innovation this meant that operators had no choice but to dose chemical biocides. Unfortunately chemicals formulated to kill bacteria such as chlorine or organic biocides are by their very nature toxic, harmful to the environment and difficult to handle and store. Sonoxide offers a new way of dealing with the problem that provides a real alternative to these chemical biocides.  Sonoxide is a patented technology that uses low power, high frequency ultrasonic sound to kill bacteria throughout industrial water systems such as closed or open cooling water systems and process water.  They pump a portion of the recirculating water through a Sonoxide unit, the water returned contains bacteria that have been damaged by the ultrasonics, this triggers a complex chain of events that causes disruption of slimes and biofilms in all parts of the system.  The result is a recirculating water system with bacteria levels under control and surfaces that are clean throughout. All without using hazardous biocidally active chemicals so this means no storage, no handling, and no discharge to the environment.

Triodos Bank aims to be a pioneering force in the world of sustainable banking. The Bank exists to finance social enterprises and charities that benefit people and the environment. Triodos lends money exclusively to positive organisations - from conservation and community projects to renewable energy and regeneration – and, uniquely for a commercial bank in the UK, publishes details of every loan it makes. Triodos Bank offers an alternative to the high-street banks for savers, social enterprises and other ethical organisations that want a bank that shares their aims and values. The Bank’s most powerful benefit however, is providing vital finance to hundreds of organisations whose work benefits people and the environment across the UK.

This is a Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) Corporate Partnership Programme to develop supply chains in the areas of environmental and sustainable management to improve efficiency and productivity.  The programme looks beyond the traditional customer-supplier relationship, to identify process and business improvement opportunities that involve groups of companies in a supply chain.  It is a partnership between JLR and Coventry City Council's Environmental Advice Services team and is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2006. Suppliers have been supported to 'cascade' a consistent and strong message that environmental management is key to the success and development of the sector, i.e. good environmental management is good business management.  This key driver in the sector has raised awareness and commitment to the whole supply chain, and is contributing to improving the long-term sustainability.