South Wiltshire Agenda 21 established the first Green Business Award in 2006 in association with the Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce and Salisbury Journal and has been responsible for judging the award each year.  Businesses must show that they have thought about the impact of their operations on the environment and taken steps to reduce it.  Many have found that it makes good business sense too.  See the winners’ stories below.

 More recently the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) and the Federation of Small Businesses have introduced their own Environmental awards.  In the first year local firm Soltrac of Tisbury won the Wildlife Trust Green Shoots Award and M.J. Abbott of Dinton the Emery Little Environmental Award.

 “The future’s bright if the future’s green” says Nik Little from Emery Little Insurance Brokers who sponsor the South Wilts Business of the Year Environmental Award.

 2006. Andrew Bunt (second right) of Country Coffee.

 Winner of the first Green Business Award, Andrew’s enthusiasm has continued leading to further environmental improvements so that he has been chosen as one of the finalists each year of the award.

Andrew aims to cut the firm’s carbon footprint year on year by reducing unnecessary travel, using biodegradable materials rather than plastic and recycling everything he can.  He is an advocate of a fairer deal for his suppliers, promoting Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance products.

“Small businesses can do their bit and increase their profitability by greening their business” said Andrew.

 2008. Sue and Cavan Mitchell of Autocrash

 “Autocrash have taken a lot of time to understand the implications of their impact on the environment. Working in the automotive industry, we have become increasingly conscious of the environment as a result of the negative impact the private car can have, so we have sought to minimise our own impact on the environment, wherever possible.

 Receiving this award was therefore a great pleasure for us as it reflected the amount of hard work and expense we have put into recycling and also has made it very worthwhile and rewarding.” Cavan Mitchell.

 

2009. Bill Wyatt of W.S. Wyatt & Son roofing

 Bill Wyatt was delighted to be named Salisbury’s greenest business 2009 by the Chamber of Commerce and proudly displays this on the back of his van. What impressed the judges was not only the firm’s own environmental policy, but the criteria they have drawn up for their suppliers.

 Bill goes out of his way to find new and innovative products such as recycled steel guttering and, his latest discovery, recycled plastic roofing tiles.

In this way he is spreading the message of the importance of green practices and low energy, low impact products to the building and construction industry.