Ever wondered how to win a sustainability award? The Blue Patch Sustainability Awards will open in September for 2022 entries. The awards will be judged by experts in sustainability including clean energy & renewables experts from Octopus Energy. The expert panel will be announced in November.
If you would love the kudos of a sustainability award for your brand, here are some ideas for how to make your entry stand out from the crowd.
Be passionate about sustainability. One of the things that make an entry outstanding is the passion for sustainability of the founders. Blue Patch is founded on this ethos and sustainability is at the very core of our directory and network. We want you to show us just how much this matters in your business. We are always interested in new technologies and the difference they can make.
Previous winners, master craftsman Angus Ross and artisan perfumer 4160 Tuesdays are great examples of businesses that are completely focused on ethics. Plus size doesn’t matter. If you are a micro startup at the beginning of your journey and your impact is still small, you can still win. We have awarded wins to very small businesses like the Top Up Truck and Bold Voices.
Make a contribution. Whether you are entering the Community Award (a new category that’s open to businesses, communities and individuals too), New Business Award, Environment Award or Heritage Award, we want to know how your organisation makes an impact on those around you. It is integral to sustainability that we need to consider the circular economy, fair trade and employment practices, recycling and repurposing or donating at the end of life, making a difference in people’s lives and having an impact.
The 2021 winners of the Global Impact Award, Y.O.U. Underwear is certainly making an impact. They have now donated 23,000 pairs of underwear ahead of their targets and recently achieved two ‘Best for the World’ B Corp scores in 2022 for Community and Environment. B Corp judges said “this company meets the highest standards of social and environmental impact”. In 2022 Global Impact businesses are invited to enter the Environment Award.
Every little detail counts. The judges are looking for people who have considered every aspect of their business with sustainability in focus. The smallest changes add up. This is where it can help to have looked at areas of the business that are sometimes overlooked, like green insurance, where you bank, what lights you fit and other clean energy initiatives. This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. It does mean you are making progress towards your goals.
Last year’s winners of the Circular Economy Award and joint winners with Habitat Aid of the Environment Award were Bio-D. Bio-D is a B corp, and their award win was for their innovation with a closed loop laundry system (refillable and recyclable laundry liquids). Their annual sustainability reports showcase their efforts to make changes across the business.
We always love to see what the public thinks and this year is no different with a People’s Prize that is based on public votes. This gives you the chance to gear up your community and get them on board to support your entry.
How to enter The Sustainability Awards
There are our three good tips for how to win an award in the Blue Patch sustainability awards; be passionate, make a contribution and every little detail counts. Blue Patch members get free entry into the awards, so now is the time to join. Find out more about the award categories and how to enter on The Sustainability Awards page. Sign up for the newsletter so that you know when entries are open.
