Commercial Award
Sponsored by AWS Legal
Winner - Humpridge Track.
Making tracks to sustainability.
The old saying "take only photographs, leave only footprints" is the essence of the way the trustees of the Humpridge Track seek to minimise their impact on the environment and their work has been recognised by being named winner of the Commercial Environment Award for 2009.
The track allows trampers access to one of the most impressive yet environmentally sensitive areas in Southland.
Since the volunteer trustees took over running the business they have built over 4km of boardwalk to protect vulnerable areas from erosion and damage, installed solar power in the huts and pioneered the use of native woodchips in track maintenance. They've also begun a stoat trapping programme to help the native bird population.
The trustees are passionate about making the Humpridge Track a sustainable business in every sense of the word. Their work is benefiting not just the environment and the Tuatapere community, but also providing an inspirational experience for all the people who walk the track each year.
Highly Commended - Craig Design and Print.
Craig Design and Print is one of Southland's oldest businesses, but their environmental ethic is right up-to-date. Three years ago the company made a commitment to improve environmental sustainability and joined the Enviromark programme managed by Landcare Research.
With buy-in from the whole staff they progressively attained bronze and silver status and this year they achieved the gold standard. Within the printing plant, this translates into a drive to minimise waste, recycle every possible material, and reduce energy use.
The management at Craigs knows that environmental responsibility is very important to many of their customers, so they’re not only making decisions that are good for the environment, they're good for business as well.
Other Nominees
BioBugs
BioBugs aims to reduce the impact that farm dairy effluent has on the environment and maximise the benefits that the nutrients can give to pasture. The company offers a management system that adds selected bacteria to dairy effluent to enhance the performance of on-farm storage ponds and improve the quality of effluent when it's sprayed onto paddocks as a fertiliser.
The Clean, Green Effluent Company
The Clean, Green Effluent Company is one of several businesses looking to find better ways of treating farm dairy effluent. Lindsay Lewis has refined the K-line system to allow for very low application rates which enable farmers to continue spraying effluent onto paddocks even during rainfall, avoiding the need for large storage ponds.
EIS Electrical
The business has made a comprehensive commitment to improving their environmental performance by taking actions such as, using paper made from Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp, recycling batteries and old cell phones, turning off unneeded appliances and lighting, reducing diesel and petrol use by improving project management and encouraging these practices and many more via their website and to their staff. EIS recycle as much as possible and keep a log of amounts recycled and volume sent to landfill. EIS also openly promotes ethics, recognising diversity, team work, fun, communication and a work life balance.
Fat Hippo Design Group
Nathan Shearing is modelling environmental sustainability in the way he runs his business and he's influencing other companies to cut back on the amount of paper they generate and switch to sending specs, files and tenders electronically. He communicates in cyberspace but out in the real world, the buildings that Nathan and Martin design are based on sustainability. Energy efficiency, low maintenance and use of environmentally friendly materials are built in to every project.
SBS Bank
SBS Bank has been focussing on upgrading heating and lighting systems to introduce sustainable technology. They have added efficiency to their boiler, replace fluro lights with energy saving alternatives and recycle all their cardboard and even some of the computer chips and internet tokens. They have further plans to expand their recycling programme.
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.