County firms are rewarded for their green outlook for the environment

Oct 23 2008 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

COUNTY firms have been rewarded for being environmentally friendly at a West Lothian awards ceremony.

The winners of the 2008 West Lothian Environmental Awards were announced by West Lothian Council leader, Peter Johnston, and presented by Robin Harper MSP at a prestigious dinner at the Macdonald Houstoun House Hotel .

The awards are organised by the Business Environment Partnership in association with West Lothian Council.

The small business award was won by Champfleurie Estate, a small family business near Linlithgow, for its conversion of waste wood from off-cuts and tree surgery operations to provide fuel for wood burning stoves and wood chip for paths and amenity areas.

Maxi Construction picked up the medium-sized business category award for the effective waste management plans used on construction sites.

Bausch & Lomb, Scotland won the large business category award.

A provider of eye care solutions and contact lenses, it recycles around 80 per cent (100 tonnes per year) of waste from its West Lothian site.

The company, which has a base in Livingston, also reduced energy consumption by 10 per cent.

Dedridge Environmental Ecology Project won the Community Project category for its work to improve the Dedridge Burn Plantation and The James Young High School won the Eco-School category for the environmental improvement programmes and initiatives that have been running throughout the school.

James Young High was also the first school in West Lothian to achieve the Eco-schools Green Flag award.

The awards, which are sponsored by West Lothian Council and local companies Mitsubishi Electric and Johnson & Johnson Medical Ltd, were established 10 years ago to recognise and reward good environmental practices in the West Lothian business community.

They are also intended to raise awareness of environmental issues facing businesses and demonstrate the bottom line benefits which can be achieved by improving environmental performance.