One of the UK’s leading asbestos consultancies has been recognised for adopting a number of green initiatives to make the business more sustainable.

Northampton-based Acorn Analytical Services, a UKAS and ATAC accredited environmental agency that specialises in asbestos management and training, was awarded the Gold Award in the Sustainability category at the Northamptonshire SME Awards.

The award recognised the company’s bold efforts to change its operations to be more sustainable in the last 12 months, as well as creating a plan to reduce its carbon footprint further by 2027.

Initiatives implemented since August 2024 have included:

• Switching to electric vehicles
• Installing 48 solar panels and electric vehicle chargers
• Going paperless
• Introducing carbon efficient route planning and in-vehicle waste receptacles for team members that travel to work on site, so drivers can recycle their waste back at the office
• Opening a Scotland office so the team didn’t have to travel there for client work

The management team have also pledged to continue driving down the company’s carbon footprint further by introducing more electric vehicles, with the aim of having an all-electric fleet by 2027. There are also plans to work with an external organisation to plant trees and to introduce a Carbon Review as part of the firm’s induction process. This would see new recruits receive training so they are aware of the carbon they generate at work and at home and can identify ways to bring this down. A meeting would then be held after 12 months to look for improvements.

Sam Savage, Managing Director at Acorn Analytical Services, said: “We became ISO 14001 accredited (the international standard for an effective environmental management system) back in 2018 and have remained committed to following this system ever since.

“When our expiry date was approaching last year and we had to undergo a recertification audit, we got thinking about how we could, not only remain compliant, but go even further to reduce our impact on the environment. We identified ways to reduce our carbon footprint, created a plan, and started making big changes straight away.

“We have already achieved so much and know what we need to do to reduce our carbon emissions further.

“To be recognised for those efforts with this Gold Award for Sustainability means a lot and it is something we can use to demonstrate our commitment to the environment with prospective clients and in tenders going forward.”

By winning Gold at the Northamptonshire SME Awards, Acorn Analytical Services is automatically through the National SME Awards, which take place at the QEII Centre in London in November.