Green Success
Warren Evans has triumphed at The Growing Business Awards 2009. The award winning bed retailer was named Green Business of the Year 2009.
The London-based bespoke bed maker business beat stiff competition from E-Stack, Good Energy, pall-Ex and Wiles Greenworld to win the Green Business of the Year category.
The Growing Business Awards, organised by Caspian Publishing, celebrates the best entrepreneurial and business talent in the UK. The awards are judged by leading business figures including Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis, John Caudwell, founder of Phones4U and Sir Andrew Cahn, chief executive of UKTI.
Warren Evans, founder and designer, is delighted at the win. He says: “It’s an honour to be named the greenest business in the UK. We are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to make the business as sustainable as possible. Over the past three years, we have invested in innovative low energy appliances for our workshop and our stores, working in conjunction with Envirowise, The Carbon Trust and Business Link. We’re thrilled to win this award.”
This is the third award this year for Warren Evans – earlier this year, they also picked up a Sunday Times Best Green Companies Award and an Observer Ethical Award.
Sustainability has been at the heart of Warren’s philosophy since he established the company over 30 years ago. And over the past three years, Warren has worked hard to ensure that measurable changes are made in store and to his team’s day-to-day working practices to minimise the impact that his business has on the environment. These include:
- Moving to a new and unique sustainable workshop, With help from an interest-free loan by the Carbon Trust, Warren was able to make this super green by purchasing environmentally friendly equipment including a bio-mass boiler and intelligent wood cutting machinery to minimise waste
- Consulting Government green body ‘Envirowise’ and government funded service Business Link for practical advice on efficiencies such as workflow, machinery and gaining staff support
- Avoiding packaging; Warren only wraps his beds and furniture in reusable blankets rather than cardboards or plastics, minimising unnecessary waste
- Signing up to pioneering carbon management schemes, including London Green500 and the 10:10 Initiative
- He is still the only bed maker in the UK to be officially certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which means that all beds and furniture are made using wood from renewable sources
- All staff uniforms are also fair-trade; Warren ensures that all t-shirts are made from organic cotton, while the fleeces are made from recycled material
- Only using recycled stationery, including envelopes made from elephant poo!
This has resulted in:
- Office recycling increasing by 50%
- Water usage reduced by 38%
- Disposals reduced by 5%
The awards ceremony was held on Thursday evening at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, with Warren Evans receiving the prize from award sponsors Stephen Pegge of high street bank Lloyds TSB and Julie Meyer of Ariadne Capital.
For interviews with Warren Evans or images please contact Sophia at PR4 on 020 7637 1237 or Sophia@pr4.com.
Warren Evans is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more
Tags: awards, eco, ethical, furniture, sustainability