innovating and pioneering

Awards

Queens Awards for Enterprise 2004 - press release

London, 21st. April 2004.

EBP, leading environmental re-manufacturer of inkjet cartridges, has won the UK's top business awards, the Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade. Today's award is for outstanding or continuous achievement in international trade, resulting in substantial overseas earnings, with growth and commercial success.

On receiving the news of the award Pat Stead - Managing Director of EBP - said, "Over the years we as a company have played a very significant part in both the legitimisation and growth of our industry and we are delighted the Queen's Award gives us the opportunity to congratulate and highlight the amazing achievements of the management team and staff. We didn't need convincing that we dominated both the commercial and technical aspects of our chosen field and feel honoured the Queen's Award Office has given us the recognition for over a decade of hard work, building up this great company."

Pat Stead receiving Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade

Essentially a CSR business before its time, EBP created the market for re-using and recycling inkjet cartridges by developing innovative and ground-breaking technology to do so. We were the first to work with charities on printer cartridge collection programmes and to date have donated nearly £1m to schools and 15 humanitarian charities across Europe through these campaigns.

Selling to all major high street retailers, including Tesco, Ryman, WH Smith, Argos and Dixons, EBP recycles inkjets for thousands of organisations.

Each year 15,000 corporate and over 1,500,000 individuals give to charity and recycle as a result of the company's educational programmes and promotions, as well as local councils and NHS Trusts.

The company's environmental credentials were equally central to winning the award. EBP's recycling of cartridges benefits the environment by preventing the disposal of 150 tonnes of plastic each year. With around 3.5 million inkjet cartridges diverted from landfill sites and recycled by EBP in a year, savings on transport, disposal to landfill, and new manufacture were all important factors.

In addition, the implementation of an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 ensuring ethical and socially responsible standards in all its operations, secured this most prestigious of Awards.

> This document was last modified: 29 August 2006