A pioneering company, based in Shipley, has been highly commended in the below £1m turnover category of the 2008 Barclays Commercial Bank Green Leaders in Business Awards.

Eco Hoardings Ltd., known for their environmentally friendly hoardings, received the accolade at a glittering gala luncheon held yesterday at London’s East Wintergarden.

Eco Hoardings is a new company formed in response to the huge waste of wood and wood-based products in the construction industry.

Traditionally, hoardings placed around construction sites to protect the public are made from wood and plywood which weathers quickly, tends to shatter when being dismantled and generally ends up as landfill.

Eco Hoardings offers environmentally friendly alternatives made from lightweight plastic board that are solid and secure, aesthetically pleasing, long lasting and recyclable.

One range is made from recycled PVC and another from recycled supermarket waste, including plastic bags. The hoardings are fully demountable and use an innovative fixing system made from galvanised steel that has withstood winds of 80 mph.

Although the company has only been operating since the beginning of this year, it has already attracted considerable interest and achieved sales of £240,000 for its first quarter, placing it on track for a £1 million turnover in its first year.

In the meantime Eco Hoardings are working with Dublin’s Airport Authority to supply environmentally friendly construction hoarding for their Terminal 2 site. The plastic hoarding is much more sustainable than timber, which is typically used for construction site hoardings.

Work is also proceeding on a new, more flexible frame system, a more rigid board made from supermarket waste and another made from hard plastic waste such as electrical products.

The company is also looking at developing products made from recycled tyres and is putting in place a rental scheme for small and short-term projects.

To mark their success in a unique and memorable way, Eco Hoardings and the 11 other National Finalists will be featured in a limited edition book, that will now be sent to government heads and influential figures around the world, showing how British business is leading the way in a new industrial revolution – one that promises to protect and preserve our planet.

Speaking immediately after the Awards, Managing Director, John Whaites, said: “This is a proud moment for Eco Hoardings and a great recognition of our team’s hard work.

“We are delighted that Barclays recognise the importance of protecting the environment alongside profitability.”

Tom Burke CBE, leading environmentalist and chair of the judging panel, said: “Judging the Awards was a very difficult task but we feel Eco Hoardings deserves to be commended as a leader in the green business revolution.”

Barclays Commercial Bank Marketing Director, Richard French, added: “We are delighted to recognise Eco Hoardings as an inspiring example of a forward thinking company – and we congratulate Eco Hoardings on its commendation in the 2008 Barclays Commercial Bank Green Leaders in Business Awards.”

Barclays Marketing Director for Local Business, John Davis, said: “Eco Hoardings were highly commended because their ecological conscience is improving the way we treat our increasingly fragile planet. I hope such acclaim adds to their future success.”

Green Leaders in Business was open to all UK & Irish companies, and had three separate categories – companies with a turnover below £1m; between £1m and £20m; and above £20m.

Barclays Commercial Bank has teamed up with key partners to develop an exclusive environmental proposition for its customers:

Through Barclays Capital's award-winning expertise, we can help customers with carbon emissions trading.
We work in partnership with the European Investment Bank to offer an exclusive cashback scheme to customers financing a wide range of capital expenditure projects, with a minimum project cost of £50,000 and a maximum value of £17 million. Limits subject to change but are based on Euro exchange rate of 1.45.

Email: Jenny@comms.aspectgroup.co.uk