Best Startup
An Oxford printing company is celebrating today after winning its fourth Queen’s Award for Enterprise for sustainable development.
Cowley-based Seacourt is one of 205 organisations across the UK to be recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. It is for the fourth time the business has been recognised for its excellence in sustainable development, having previously collected the honour in 2007, 2011 and 2016.
Seacourt – which began trading in 1946 – proudly claims to be one of the world’s greenest and most sustainable printing companies. Having set out to transform its traditional operations in 1996, the firm is a model for companies looking to operate in the most environmentally conscious way possible.
Commenting on the prestigious accolade, Gareth Dinnage, MD of Seacourt said:
“We are honoured to have once again received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for our outstanding achievements in sustainable development. Winning the highest UK official award for business for the fourth time is an acknowledgement of everything the team here does to make our company the gold standard when it comes to ethical and environmental excellence.
“We are immensely proud of all we have achieved – Seacourt is proof that companies can act responsibly and prosper. This award cements our ambition to continually strive to do more for society and the planet.”
Using a mix of the latest cutting-edge technology and reviewing its entire production and supply chain, Seacourt has revolutionised the normal printing process. Highlights include switching to revolutionary waterless printing; reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions by 98.5 per cent; sending no waste to landfill; using 100 per cent renewable energy; and is a carbon positive (+10%) business in its entirety. This unique proposition is offered to clients as Planet Positive Printing, which sees Seacourt supporting cookstove projects in Ghana and Bangladesh to assist developing countries with safe and eco-friendly cooking methods, diverting carbon from entering the atmosphere at source, enabling social mobility and enhancing public health.
The planet-positive business – which employs 25 people –is also the highest-scoring B Corp printing and media company in the world with a huge 124.3 points. B Corp is the world’s moniker for good businesses that balance purpose and profit, and only 80 points are required to be certified B Corp.
Now in their 55th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country. Winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem on their branding for the next five years.
For more information on Seacourt please visit https://www.seacourt.net/.
About Seacourt
Founded in 1946, Oxford-based printing business Seacourt is one of the most sustainable printing company in the world. As the highest scoring B Corp printing company in the world, it is a net carbon positive business that uses 100 per cent renewable energy and delivers zero waste to landfill. Seacourt’s innovative waterless printing technology has saved millions of litres of water and reduced volatile chemical emissions by 98.5 per cent. As an exemplar for sustainability with every decision taking people, the planet and profit into consideration, Seacourt has won four prestigious Queen’s Awards, 2021 being the most recent.
