Green and clean

Summary
• The TTJ Environmental Achievement Award is sponsored by UCM Timber.
• Last year’s winner was Balcas Timber for its Brites bio-fuel pellets.
• The Award is open to companies demonstrating environmental achievement in certification or in the development of products, processes or services.
• The TTJ Awards take place at the Park Lane Hotel, London on September 18.

The timber industry’s commitment to improving its environmental performance grows stronger by the day and is annually demonstrated by the quality of entries to the Environmental Achievement category of the TTJ Awards.

The Award, sponsored by UCM Timber, is open to the whole spectrum of environmental initiatives, from forest certification right through to green working practices, product development and processing technologies.

Last year’s shortlist demonstrated its broad reach: the three projects picked out from a particularly strong field were Balcas Timber Ltd for its production of Brites bio-fuel pellets; BSW Timber for its work with producer Titan Wood to develop Accoya modified timber and bring it to market in the UK; and Glenalmond Timber and Hollybrook Homes for achieving the first whole Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification construction project at Westside Apartments in Ilford, Essex.

Tough decision

It was a tough decision for the judges (Andy Roby, former Timber Trade Federation head of environment and corporate social responsibility; Alistair Bromhead, health, safety and environment consultant; and Scott Bagshaw, former UCM environmental co-ordinator) as each of the entries ticked many, if not all of the boxes. Each stood out in terms of their impact and innovation and what Andy Roby described as “more than business as usual”.

BSW/Accoya was praised for enhancing timber’s “reputation”, while the FSC project entry was hailed as “a major step forward in supply chain management” and “a breakthrough for chain of custody”.

The eventual winner, Balcas Timber, however, was singled out for hitting the zeitgeist – climate change. Brites pellets displace 10,000MW of fossil fuel-generated power a year, enough to heat 10,000 homes, and reduce landfill. In addition, said the judges, Balcas is making use of local resources and providing a new market for forest products. “The impact on the forests is positive,” they said.

One of this year’s judges, TTF sustainability manager Rachel Butler, believes that sustainability issues “should always be a fundamental part of making a business decision, not a bolt-on or a simple PR exercise”.

“What impresses me is not just the innovation that clearly demonstrates an improvement in sustainable performance, but also the process of change the company has undertaken and how it has genuinely altered its views on the environment as a whole,” she said.

“It’s important to reward progress by highlighting success and there’s nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition to encourage others to take action,” she added.

UCM’s managing director Mark Plews agreed that it’s good to reward achievement, but added that entrants who don’t ultimately win the top prize still have plenty to be proud about. “If you win, it’s great publicity – and even if you don’t your product or service is still out there,” he said.

Entering the Award

• The TTJ Environmental Achievement Award is open to any company in the timber and associated industries that can demonstrate some form of improvement in environmental performance in the past 12 months.

• Entries can range from special achievement in environmental certification, to the development of products, processes or services with particular environmental benefit for the timber industry.

• Entries must be supported by documentation describing the achievement, product, service or process, with a clear explanation of its environmental contribution. Background on the development of products and services and their industry take-up would also be helpful.

• The Award is open to UK companies and organisations and to overseas entrants serving the UK market.

• This year’s judges are UCM Timber plc managing director Mark Plews, TTF sustainability manager Rachel Butler, health, safety and environment consultant Alistair Bromhead and TTJ managing editor Sally Spencer.

• For an entry form click here or or e-mail sspencer@ttjonline.com

• The deadline is July 18. Entries should be sent to Mike Jeffree, editor, TTJ, Progressive Media Markets, 2 Maidstone Road, Sidcup, DA14 5HZ.

This year’s TTJ Awards will take place on September 18 at London’s Park Lane Hotel. Host and guest speaker Charles Kennedy MP will make the presentations.