ScotAsh, a joint venture between ScottishPower and Lafarge Cement, has won another national environmental award, building on its achievement of winning the only Queen’s Award in the Sustainable Development category in Scotland this year and its inclusion in the CleanTech 100 index in September.
The Kincardine-on-Forth-based company, which manufactures cements, grouts and stabilisation products from power station ash has won a national VIBES (Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland) Award in the management category. ScotAsh was previously the winner of a national VIBES Award in 2004 and was a regional winner in 2006.
Presenting the awards at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Edinburgh, Scottish Minister for Environment Michael Russell MSP said: “The Scottish Government recognises and encourages green innovation in businesses. The role which business can play will be essential in meeting our ambitious targets on reducing Scotland’s carbon emissions and help move us towards becoming a zero waste society.”
“Today’s winners are making a valuable contribution to those goals and setting an example to others. Environment commitments can also result in economic success – during the downturn I would urge businesses to look at how going greener could help through potential difficulties.”
VIBES chair Gillian Bruce added: “Once again we have been very impressed by this year’s winners – they have not only shown they are doing their utmost to be as environmentally positive as possible but they are also demonstrating great business practice whilst making substantial financial savings.”
While ScotAsh received its management accolade for the transformation of power station coal into environmentally friendly construction products, judges were impressed by its staff involvement, extensive monitoring, waste saving and innovation.
Commenting on ScotAsh’s win, Managing Director Peter Quinn said: “ScotAsh is committed to achieving leading class environmental performance and striving to grow our business sustainably. The whole team here takes an interest in environmental issues. Sustainability is a way of life that doesn't end when we leave the plant – we do what we can to minimise our environmental impacts both at work and at home.”
Now in its ninth year, VIBES recognises and rewards the efforts of Scottish businesses to become more efficient and competitive through improving environmental performance and benefiting a company’s bottom-line.
VIBES is supported by: Business Stream; CBI Scotland; Energy Saving Trust; Environmental Protection UK; Envirowise; Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland; Forward Scotland; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Scottish Enterprise; Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Scottish Government.
Finalists are eligible to enter the European Business Awards for the Environment, which attract around 200 entries per year from the cream of Europe’s most environmentally positive businesses. The next round of European Awards will be held in 2010. VIBES is the only Scottish award scheme that feeds into these prestigious European awards.
Media information – Paul Ferguson 0141 636 4515 / 07702 665 924