Overview
The categories are chosen to allow entrants to showcase the success that sustainable innovation and behavioral change has had in their businesses. The awards are deliberately not sector specific, as the many facets of sustainability straddle every sector and segment of the foodservice market. Rather, they reflect the application of responsible practice and sustainable thinking to specific areas of business function.
The majority of the award categories are for organisations. Two, however, are reserved for outstanding individual contribution to the industry and community.
For detailed criteria and entry requirements, click on the relevant award.
Corporate Awards
1. Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Award
Entries will be judged on their ability to demonstrate innovation and efficiencies in the use of the earth’s natural resources at any stage in the foodservice supply chain.
2. Innovations in Packaging Award
Entries will be judged on how the design of packaging and use of materials has led to an increase in recycling and a reduction in the amount of non-recyclable waste.
3. Waste Management and Reduction Award
Entrants should show effective management to reduce the amount of waste – in particular, water, food and packaging waste - generated from their foodservice business.
4. Environmentally Efficient Logistics Award
Entries should demonstrate where logistical innovation and efficiencies have produced clear environmental benefits, be it through co-ordinated logistics, working collaboratively or the utilisation of a sustainable fuel source.
5. Sustainable Sourcing Award
Entries to this category will need to show how and where their sourcing of sustainable products has benefited the environment and the communities that supply them.
6. Sustainable Supplier Award
Entrants must demonstrate how, as a British supplier, they have brought benefit to the environment, the sustainability of the supply source and have contributed to their community.
7. Energy Efficiency Award
Entries in this category should highlight how energy savings have been made in the foodservice supply chain including the growing, storing, preparing and delivery processes of food.
8. Sustainable Catering Equipment Manufacturer Award
Entries should clearly show innovation in the design and development of more sustainable, energy efficient, catering equipment.
9. Economic Sustainability Award
Entries must demonstrate where cost savings or business advantage has been created by the introduction of a strategy that supports sustainability.
10. Stakeholder Engagement Award
Entries in this category are for the most effective engagement programmes aimed at stakeholders, designed to raise awareness of the issues and drive more sustainable behaviour.
11. Social Impact & Diversity Award
This award seeks to reward social initiatives that have had a positive impact on the business, its community and stakeholders.
Individual Awards
These individual awards are all about personal voting and public recognition. There is no charge to submit a name in the Special Achievement Award or an establishment in The Community Vote. Whilst the judging panel scores The Special Achievement Award, The Community Vote is awarded solely on the number of votes received.
The Community Vote
This is your chance to nominate and vote your favourite sustainable restaurant or food outlet in your community.
Open to everyone: customers or trade can nominate their local restaurant, eatery, pub, fast food outlet, office canteen, roadside café, or shop serving takeaway sandwiches. In fact ANY foodservice business in the community that demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and reducing negative impact on the environment.
Special Achievement Award
Organisations can nominate individuals from their own business, or someone they work with - client or supplier - who they consider to have made a special contribution to sustainability and the environment.
Specific entry and assessment criteria by category
1. SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AWARD |
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Entries will be judged on their ability to demonstrate innovation and efficiencies in the use of the earth’s natural resources at any stage in the foodservice supply chain.
Background
Our current use of available natural resources in all walks of life is endangering the sustainable supply of those resources for future generations. Efficient management and use of natural resources such as water, fuel, land etc. in the growth, processing, production and retailing of food will help reduce the impact on the natural resources we can draw upon. In this way we can meet the needs we have today and help sustain those resources for use by future generations.
Entrants
This category is open to anyone operating at any stage in the UK foodservice supply chain – from growers to food outlets, communities to hotels and entertainment retailers.
Purpose of the award
The purpose of the award is to showcase how we can reduce our impact on the use of natural resources and make maximum use of what is available to us. We hope that entrants will be able to demonstrate technological innovations, as well as systems and strategies that can be adapted and adopted across the foodservice industry at large.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- The significant reduction in the use of natural resources in the production of your foodservice product in the last 3 years
- The demonstration of the sustainable use of natural resources through recycling of the resource at the end of its use
- The efficient management of natural resources to ensure the continuing supply of that resource for future generations
- The benefits of the efficient management of natural resources on the community where they are sourced such that the sustainability of that community is protected
- The use of renewable resources – such as energy – that has contributed to the reduction in use of non-renewable natural resources
- Technologies, strategies and systems that contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources
2. INNOVATIONS IN PACKAGING AWARD |
Entries will be judged on how the design of packaging and use of materials has led to an increase in recycling and a reduction in the amount of non-recyclable waste.
Background
The foodservice industry is a voracious consumer of packaging, much of which is necessary to protect the quality and safety of the product. The challenges include the type of materials used in packaging, the quantity required and the properties of that material that enable it to be re-used in its current form or as a recycled material. Many innovations in the use of packing materials have been developed in the recent past that reduce waste and increase the sustainable use of packaging material.
Entrants
This category is open to anyone operating at any stage in the foodservice supply chain that uses significant quantities of packaging and also manufacturers of specific materials used in foodservice.
Purpose of the award
This award is designed to encourage foodservice operators to look at the types of packaging materials available and how they design and use packaging. Operators must focus on the reduction in the use of materials that contribute to waste and the ongoing use of packaging in that form or in the production of other products. Packaging in foodservice is also a very complex issue, and this award seeks best practice in how the issues are communicated internally within organisations and to end users.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Reductions in the quantity of packing that have been achieved
- Use of materials that can be used in other products
- A strategy that ensures the re-use of materials or packaging itself
- Communication of the possibilities for re-use of packaging to the end user
- Communication of information that helps regulators and end users understand the properties of specific materials and its recycling opportunities leading to better disposal practices and reduced waste
- Innovations and the development of new materials
3. WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION AWARD |
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Entries in this category will be judged on the entrant’s work to effectively manage and reduce the amount of waste – in particular, water, food and packaging waste - generated from their foodservice business. It is also designed to encourage collaboration in reducing the amount of potential waste entering and leaving the supply chain.
Background
The effective management and reduction of waste is a high priority on government agendas. Critically, it is also an issue that is easily understood by customers and consumers: awareness of the need to reduce waste and its environmental impact is high – even if the complexity and detail of waste management and reduction are not. This is an area where Foodservice can demonstrate leadership and its commitment to waste reduction through its actions. It is also an area where the greatest reductions will come from improved management and collaborative work with partners up and down a complex supply chain.
Entrants
This category is open to anyone that generates waste from their business or has direct or indirect influence over the way that the waste they create is managed by their customers or suppliers.
Purpose of the award
With announcements from governments in the UK that they are targeting a “world without waste”, it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that waste is not created in the first place and that any waste that is created is properly managed: recycled, up-cycled and/or used to generate appropriate forms of energy, or put back into the supply chain for another constructive purpose – a closed loop. Although the goal must be not to create waste in the first place, some waste is unavoidable and this award will showcase innovative management of waste that drives towards zero waste and reduces waste to landfill.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Clear and accurate processes for establishing the amount of food and packaging waste being generated by your operations – both directly and indirectly – and a clear definition of the scope of your responsibility to reduce its environmental impact
- Effective processes that prevent potential waste entering your operations
- Demonstration that collaboration with suppliers and customers has led to a greater reduction in the environmental impact of waste than would otherwise have been possible
- Effective ongoing management processes that monitor the amount of waste through the business
- Innovative and constructive disposal of any waste generated
- The positive impact of Staff engagement in the management of waste streams in the business
- Action that has led to the development of new infrastructure – inside and outside your business – to deal with different waste streams.
4. ENVIRONMENTALLY EFFICIENT LOGISTICS AWARD |
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Entries should demonstrate where logistical innovation and efficiencies have produced clear environmental benefits, be it through co-ordinated logistics, working collaboratively or the utilisation of a sustainable fuel source.
Background
The concept of food miles has received much attention over the last few years – partly as a result the rising cost of fuel and partly because this is an issue that is easily understood by consumers. Whilst this also places renewed focus on using local product, consumer demand dictates that large volumes of product still needs to be moved from field to table and to all stages in between. The efficient planning and execution of logistics, sometimes working collaboratively with other producers and retailers, can minimise the impact of operations on the environment and the use of non-renewable energy.
Entrants
Entrants to this category can be from businesses that co-ordinate logistics or businesses that have a buying strategy that reduces the need to move product in an unsustainable way.
Purpose of the award
Although this issue seems to be simple and uncomplicated on the surface, it is as complex as many others in the foodservice industry – as was highlighted by the recent impact of the volcanic ash cloud on growers in Kenya. The purpose of this award is to highlight the complexities and to ensure that best practice in logistics buying and planning is disseminated to all parts of the industry.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Where operators have reduced carbon emissions
- Strategies that encourage reduction in the overall impact of logistics on the environment
- Use of low carbon methods of transport
- Where local production is used to reduce food miles
- Where collaborative working has reduced carbon emissions and food miles
- How efficient logistics can enable more remote communities to maintain supply with low environmental impact
5. SUSTAINABLE SOURCING AWARD |
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Entries to this category will need to show how and where their sourcing of sustainable products has benefited the environment and the communities that supply them.
Background
Sustainable practice in the sourcing of product is vital to the continuing availability of raw materials in food production and essential to the ongoing development of the communities that produce them. But when today’s consumer demands out-of-season products and quantities of seasonal product that outstrip local supply, foodservice businesses have difficult choices to make in how to source the materials they need cost effectively and in a way that does not damage the environment. This award is a reflection of an organisation’s success in this in the face of an ever more knowledgeable and demanding customer and much media scrutiny.
Entrants
This category is open to businesses that source agricultural product for their own use or for resale and have implemented a strategy that has been in operation for at least 12 months.
Purpose of the award
The objective of this award is to encourage companies to look at their sourcing strategy and see how it can be improved to reduce negative impact on the environment, maximise the benefits to the community where products are sourced, and ensure a sustainable supply in the future. It also seeks to showcase how strategies, once created, have been implemented, monitored and measured for their continuing effectiveness.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Where and how products are sourced to minimise negative environmental impact
- How sourcing has been designed to minimise food miles
- Where sourcing strategy has been implemented to the benefit of a community
- How sourcing strategy has influenced the way that product has been produced to improve the lives of the individuals and communities that produce product
- How continuing scrutiny has been applied to all parts of production to ensure compliance with sustainable sourcing accreditations
- The net positive effect of sourcing strategies
6. SUSTAINABLE SUPPLIER AWARD |
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Entrants must demonstrate how their implementation of sustainable initiatives has brought benefit to their environment, community and stakeholders, both up and down the supply chain.
Background
With the world economy in a downturn, organisations are looking for ways to boost turnover, maintain employment levels and reduce costs. Many companies have stood back, looked at the environmental and sustainability impact of their operations and made the necessary changes to working practices that have fulfilled these criteria, improved business efficiencies and, therefore service levels.
Entrants
Those companies who have advanced their sustainability credentials, production or process techniques, be they grower, manufacturer or wholesale distributor.
Purpose of the award
The objective of this award is to demonstrate where sustainable practice can increase reputational and business gains.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Evidence of where a sustainable buying strategy has been aided by your product or service
- Evidence of how your product or service has benefitted the environment and your customers
- The economic benefits to your downward supply chain
- Maintaining consistency and quality of supply
- The impact on animal welfare, where appropriate
- The social impact of your product
- Innovations in marketing
- Demonstrations of how the benefits of UK produce has been communicated
7. ENERGY EFFICIENCY AWARD |
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Entries in this category should highlight where and how energy savings have been made in all areas of the foodservice supply chain including the growing, storing, preparing and delivery of food.
Background
Restaurants are among the most visible of the intensive commercial users of energy. In truth, the foodservice industry is a huge consumer of energy right through the supply chain – from growers to consumers.
Entrants
Anyone who is using energy and therefore has the potential to reduce its use can enter this category.
Purpose of the award
The purpose of this award is to demonstrate how not only large scale investment in new equipment can save energy, but also how innovative changes to the way that you operate and design your facilities saves huge amounts of energy.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Significant reductions in energy consumption as a result of demonstrated initiatives
- Innovations in design that have resulted in a reduction of energy consumption
- Innovations in ways of operating that have reduced energy consumption
- Implementation of an energy reduction strategy and what that has yielded
- Energy savings achieved through the re-design or introduction of new buildings or facilities
- Strategies that have led to energy reduction throughout your supply chain.
8. SUSTAINABLE CATERING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER AWARD |
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Entries should demonstrate innovation in the design and development of more energy efficient, sustainable catering equipment.
Background
With the amount of energy being used, as well as the amount of equipment being manufactured and utilised across the whole foodservice industry, energy efficient equipment is vital. Not only that, but equipment that has been designed not only to save energy in running costs, but also be more sustainable in the way that it is manufactured and decommissioned is also crucial in reducing negative impact on the environment.
Entrants
Entrants should be equipment designers and manufactures working in the foodservice industry.
Purpose of the award
We aim to recognise manufacturers and designers of foodservice equipment who put sustainability at the heart of their design and manufacture. Not only energy efficiency, but innovative ways in which equipment is designed to be used in situ in a sustainable way and which reduces negative impact on the environment.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Equipment design
- Equipment manufacture and materials used
- Design features that reduce food waste
- Design features that increase the effective life of the product and reduce the need for constant renewal
- End-of-life recycling properties and landfill waste reduction
- Energy efficiency
- Product performance
9. ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY AWARD |
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Entries must demonstrate where cost savings or business advantage has been created by the introduction of a strategy that supports sustainability.
Background
Sustainability and corporate social responsibility are too often seen as cost items in the annual budget. And with the economic downturn squeezing budgets, companies are necessarily cutting costs in areas that are not seen to be generating revenue. Recent experience has shown that contrary to negative perceptions, commercial advantage can be built through better communication of company policy on CSR and the execution of environmental/sustainability strategies and the fiscal benefits of these have been realised on the bottom line.
Entrants
Any foodservice business that has implemented a sustainability policy that has driven commercial success is eligible for entry.
Purpose of the award
The scale of the commercial advantage is not the driver for creating this award. We aim to show that embedding sustainability in your company DNA can bring real commercial benefit – both in financial terms and in terms of brand recognition.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- How a sustainability strategy or policy has lead to an increase in revenues
- Whether your sustainability strategy or policy has increased profitability
- Where your approach to sustainability made savings in the organisation – e.g. in retention/recruitment of staff, or reductions in the use of paper and printing, and facilities running costs
- Where clients and customers have cited sustainability as a major factor in their decision to buy from you
10. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AWARD |
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For the most effective engagement programme aimed at your stakeholders – both inside and outside the business - designed to raise awareness of the issues and drive more sustainable behaviour.
Background
It’s all very well creating a policy for the environment and sustainability, but will your people, your supply chain, your customers, consumers and investors understand it and work with it to produce the results that you expect? If your initiatives and policies go unheard of by your key stakeholders, then they will not contribute to your policy and the benefits of operating more sustainability will not be realised as effectively as they might – for the organisation, for the environment or for the communities in which you operate. Marketing and communications is vital to raising awareness of the issues and broadening a culture of sustainable behaviour across your operations – whether that’s from a kitchen porter or consumer in one of your outlets. Ensuring there are sufficient channels for communicating continuous improvement in your corporate sustainability performance is also essential in ensuring that action is embedded in every aspect of day-to-day corporate life.
Entrants
This is open to every foodservice company of any size that has a Sustainability/Environmental policy or CSR strategy that encompasses environmental and sustainability issues that is communicated to stakeholders in the business.
Purpose of the award
The aim of this award is to highlight where communications can help embed and support a strategy towards the environment and sustainability and the benefits this can bring to sustainability.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Communications plans that have been or are partially executed
- Demonstrable buy-in from your stakeholders: i.e. your people, senior management, the Board, investors, customers, suppliers, partners and consumers as a result of communications with them
- Availability, format and channels for information on sustainability and the environment to the stakeholders
- Demonstrable endorsement from senior management
- Activities that promote the message internally and externally
- Recognition of voluntary work undertaken by stakeholders that increases the profile and awareness of the issues for your business and the whole foodservice sector
11. SOCIAL IMPACT & DIVERSITY AWARD |
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This award seeks to reward social initiatives that have had a positive impact on the business, its community and stakeholders.
Background
National and international commercial enterprises have huge influence when demonstrating good corporate citizenship. Sometimes it’s not just about improving the sustainability of a business through its commercial activities; sometimes it’s about creating a positive effect on the social environment and communities in which it operates. Social diversity is an important choice for companies to make in all sectors, and is reflected not just within the immediate workplace but in attitudes towards and initiatives with suppliers and customers alike, which not only benefit the working environment but influence social progress.
Entrants
Entrants to this category can be from any part of the foodservice industry that has taken part in any social diversity project, large or small, over the last 2 years.
Purpose of the award
To reward those organisations which have taken social diversity to the heart of their business and have carried out a social project, however large or small, regionally, nationally or internationally.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- The impact that any project has had on people and communities
- Innovation: new thinking on old problems that has initiated positive change
- Where companies have used expertise gained in foodservice in a social context
- How social diversity initiatives are promoted within the organization
- Evidence of social diversity applied to procurement and tender processes
- The level of involvement from employees and management in projects
- Feedback from the communities where projects have been carried out
The following awards recognise individual as opposed to corporate achievement
12. THE COMMUNITY VOTE – anyone can take part |
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This is your chance to nominate and vote for your favourite sustainable restaurant or food outlet in your community
You recycle at home and many people try to make sure that what they consume is from a sustainable source. But when you go out to a restaurant or to an event, a theme park or a fast food outlet, what happens to all the waste generated by an estimated 250,000 food outlets in the UK? Does this outlet grow its own, buy locally or from specifically sustainable sources? Does it conserve energy through use of renewables, recycling water or just conscientious usage?
If you know of an outlet in your local community or where you work, that demonstrates its commitment to sustainability and reducing its negative impact on the environment, then nominate them for this award and get people voting for them!
Entrants and voting
Anyone can nominate any foodservice business whether it’s a small tea room round the corner, or a national restaurant chain with the right attitude to sustainability. (One vote per email address registered will be allowed) And once nominated – get everyone to vote. The more votes you get the more likely your nomination will win!
Purpose of the award
Every year, it is estimated that UK catering and hospitality:
- Disposes of 3 million tonnes of waste
- Emits 12.5 million tonnes of CO2
- Consumes 2% of the public water supply – 34 million litres!
This award seeks to recognise the catering and hospitality businesses that are contributing to a reduction in the environmental impact of the industry and in turn making it a more sustainable sector; in environmental, economic and social terms.
Specific Criteria
- Nominations must be for a foodservice outlet demonstrating commitment to sustainability and environmental initiatives implemented since May 2009 in the UK.
Nominate an outlet or establishment now
Vote for a nominated outlet or individual
13. SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD |
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Organisations can nominate individuals from their own business, suppliers or clients who they consider to have made a special contribution to sustainability and the environment.
Entrants
We invite companies and businesses to nominate individuals from their organisations, or people they work directly with on a day to day basis (such as key suppliers or clients etc.). To nominate someone for this award, please complete an entry form.
Purpose of the award
Footprint Awards want to recognise, before the whole industry, outstanding individual contribution to sustainability and the environment in the previous year. This could be an employee or an individual from your supplier base who is not necessarily part of the sustainability team, but has taken affirmative and beneficial action on sustainability – reflecting a collaborative approach and that a good understanding of the issues exists within your community.
Specific Criteria
Judges will focus on:
- Individual contribution to sustainability and its results
