One-To-Watch

This year we saw an exceptional amount of entries that showed massive potential across so many areas of sustainability and social impact, but were still relatively young projects, and didn’t have the necessary measured impact to meet the full criteria.

So it was down to the Judges to award as many Ones-To-Watch as they deemed necessary; all of which, they considered to be potential future winners. And here they are… (you can also read our round-up along with some of the judges comments, here.

Penguin Random House UK

WriteNow

WriteNow is a nationwide campaign created by Penguin Random House UK to ensure the books and authors we publish better reflect the society we live in. It aims to find, mentor and publish new writers from communities under-represented on the nation’s bookshelves, including writers from BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) or LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer) communities, writers who have a disability, or come from a socio-economically marginalised background. Established in 2016, the programme has welcomed 300 writers to six regional events across the UK, received nearly 5,000 applications from writers around the country and led to 3 writers so far being published.

Thames Water and Action for River Kennet (ARK)

Water Matters

Thames Water and Action for the River Kennet (ARK) have run a successful community partnership programme since 2011, under the titles ‘Care for the Kennet’ and ‘Water Matters’. The overall aim is to encourage long-term behaviour change to keep the water environment healthy by raising awareness of the value of water, reducing water consumption and reducing river pollution to promote biodiversity. There are a variety of innovative and creative workshops available to schools and community groups including river field trips, water matters talks and raising trout/eels to be released into the River Kennet.

Because International

The Shoe that grows

The Shoe That Grows is an innovative shoe that grows right along with growing kids. It expands 5 sizes and lasts for years – protecting feet and helping kids challenged by extreme poverty in developing nations to be more healthy, attend school more often, and be more confident.  The Shoe That Grows is produced at a local factory in Ethiopia and brings employment to families through production, warehousing, and distribution. We fight the negative cycle of poverty with the positive cycle of innovation.

Binti International

Every Girl Deserves Dignity. Period

We design community projects that manufacture sanitary towels that are:

DISPOSABLE – By locally producing and selling low-cost, affordable and disposable sanitary towels that are biodegradable and eco-friendly. Raw materials for production will be sourced locally and they will be manufactured alongside disposable towels to increase cost efficiency.

REUSABLE – By locally producing hygienic sanitary towels that can be reused and recycled through a simple wash and dry, making them practical and cost effective.

SUSTAINABLE –  Binti focuses on increasing sustainability by hiring local women to produce and sell sanitary towels using Solar energy to power most of our workshops. Alongside our production facilities, Binti aims to educate by providing educational programmes with long term goal to change perceptions and dispel shame and taboos around periods.

Tata Consultancy Services

TCS Digital Explorers – ‘Experience Work’

Work experience for a typical 16 year old is synonymous with photocopying, making drinks and chair swivelling at ones parents/relatives work place. Not so at TCS Digital Explorers.  Aimed unashamedly at talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who lack social networks, we run an intensive boot camp for students to learn core IT skills though real-world projects, participate in cutting-edge workshops, rub shoulders with industry professionals, explore future tech trends, network with entrepreneurs and graduate from the week equipped with the confidence and abilities needed to succeed in the world of digital work.

OVO Energy

OVO Gives Back

OVO Gives Back is an employee-led initiative that empowers the OVO team to nominate and vote for the four local charities they’d like OVO to support for the year. These charities receive a £20,000 grant each and year-round volunteer support from OVO employees. Now in its second year, OVO employees completed over 2,000 hours of volunteering at 37 volunteer events and supported eight local charities. OVO Gives Back enables OVO employees to give something back to the neighbourhoods they call home – building a happy workforce and a stronger community too.

Do Nation

Helping sustainability leaders to drive behaviour change

Following research into environmental pledge schemes, we identified the need for a platform that anyone could use to inspire behaviour change within their own companies and communities, without forfeiting the costly features required to turn pledges into lasting behaviours.

We developed an online platform where anyone can run a campaign to raise pledges from their colleagues – to do things like wasting less food or using reusable bottles.

Do Nation has now helped 670 people to lead effective behaviour change campaigns within organisations ranging from Network Rail to Pukka Herbs. Together they’ve helped +16,000 people to adopt new habits, directly saving +2,000 tCO2 pa. All while empowering sustainability leaders to lead even greater change.

Cred Jewellery

Bringing sustainable and ethical practises to African Gold mining

Cred is a social enterprise helping the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in developing countries: small scale artisanal miners. In 2011 Cred established the first traceable and independently audited mine to market supply chain for precious metals. This unique model involves exporting, wholesaling and retailing to raise awareness and demand for responsibly mined gold. In 2017 Cred brought the first African Fairtrade Gold from Uganda to market, doubling the miner’s income and bringing health and safety, community representation and environmental protection up to Fairtrade Standards. Cred works in partnership with other organisations to increase efficiency and sustainability of gold reclamation.

Macrebur

Plastic Roads

MacRebur’s products are made from 100% waste plastic materials and are used to replace part of the bitumen in any asphalt mix.

As fossil fuels are constantly being consumed, alternatives to bitumen must be considered to improve sustainability. MacRebur’s products replace part of the bitumen in asphalt, giving a significant reduction in fossil fuel usage.

We are seeing the negative effects of a plastic epidemic throughout the world and this is especially true in UK now that China has stopped taking our UK plastic waste. But as MacRebur’s products are all made from 100% recycled plastic materials, they help reduce unwanted, discarded plastics from landfill and from oceans. MacRebur use local waste for local roads.

10:10

Riding Sunbeams

Pioneering project discovered that solar power could be connected directly to electrified railways to power trains, was commercially feasible and where precisely it would work best in UK. Technology not yet used anywhere in the world but with vast potential.

Delphis Eco

Circular innovation: 100% UK PCR plastic packaging

Recycling plastic is not a new science. However, we know that at least 93% is not recycled and with the vast amount ending up in landfill or our oceans. What Delphis Eco has achieved is to prove the concept that it is possible to procure UK recycled plastic and produce a 100% recycled plastic bottle. Not only does this product reduce C02 by 70%, it is globally scalable across almost every industry and it reduces plastic into the environment, helps the UK/China waste crisis.

APS Metal Pressings

Enviro-cup: The Cup for Life

As result of a demand for an alternative to Plastic Cups and the need to reduce landfill, Birmingham based APS Metal Pressings Ltd has designed and manufactured “Enviro-Cup”.

Designed and manufactured in the UK from Recycled Food Grade Stainless Steel and is not only durable and user-friendly, but is also totally Recyclable. Perfect for use at Outdoor Events & Festivals.

Enviro-Cup is a great example of the “Circular Economy” in that the process starts with a sheet of 235mmx235mm Recycled Stainless Steel and at the end of its life is totally recyclable, ready to start again.

Delipac

Zero plastic, sustainable barrier packaging for food & drink

The problem – The U.K. consumes circa 5+ billion single use plastic lined board food-to-go packs & 3.5+ billion single use plastic lined coffee cups. For disposal, approximately 98% is consigned to landfill or pollutes the seas. Existing plastic laminated waste remains inert in landfill and won’t begin to degrade much before 500 years.

A solution…Delipac. Unique & innovative zero plastic barrier packaging, engineered to replace existing pe/plastic laminated hot/cold cups/food-to-go packs. Existing laminated barrier packaging is NOT easily recyclable & NOT biodegradable. Delipac packaging, IS completely recyclable in ANY paper waste stream, + biodegradable. Global food conformity + Carbonbalanced.

Nature Workshops

Nature-based learning

An established not-for-profit training agency providing nature-based learning and well-being opportunities. Roll on roll off training designed to have minimum carbon use. Using woodlands on public bus routes, where our learners live, recruiting local Trainers to keep transport to a minimum and the cash flowing in these communities.

As a non profit we are already different to most of our competitors. In 2014/15 we decided to start training groups and individuals, instead of just delivering. We found gaps in the market of nature based learning.

We use other non profits, secondhand kit and shop locally if it all and now help others develop their sustainable development policies and processes.

ClientEarth & BMB Agency

Poisoned Playgrounds

ClientEarth with the agency BMB, launched the Poisoned Playgrounds campaign in September 2017, which focuses on the impact of air pollution on children’s health. It maps schools that are within 150 metres of illegally polluted roads in the UK, inspiring the public to voice their concerns to Members of Parliament.