Fired Earth wins prestigious sustainability award

Fired Earth – which has achieved an impressive recycling target of 86% – has beaten 16 other entrant companies to win the coveted Oxfordshire Waste Partnership Sustainability Award at the 2009 Oxfordshire Business Awards.

The award reflects a company-wide commitment to care for the environment wherever possible. Not only has Fired Earth exceeded ambitious recycling targets, but it has brought in a host of new green measures. These include the introduction of eco-friendly packaging into the warehouse and delivery drivers being urged to bring back packaging from customers and Fired Earth shops to reduce wastage. The latest award reflects an ongoing commitment to the environment. The judging panel made the award to Fired Earth in recognition of its efforts to improve resource efficiency, reduce energy wastage and its commitment to introducing innovative means of improving corporate sustainability. The awards ceremony was held at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel in Sandford on Thames.  Rob Whitaker, Fired Earth’s head of company, said: “We’re delighted to have received this award because it recognises all the hard work put in by the environmental team at Fired Earth. It also illustrates perfectly the company’s commitment to sustainability and the planet.

“I’d like to thank everyone at Adderbury and in store for supporting this effort and for the hard work that went into the submission by the operations team, the marketing team and all the individuals whose personal effort and quiet conscientiousness paid off in the end.”

Note to editors
With more than 60 stores worldwide, Fired Earth – which is based in Adderbury, Oxfordshire, and this year celebrates its 25th anniversary – is well known for its beautiful handmade tiles, most of which are sourced in the UK or Europe, and for its paint range, produced in collaboration with Kevin McCloud. Over recent years the range has evolved to take in kitchen and bathroom collections. All products stocked by Fired Earth – part of the AGA Rangemaster Group – are in keeping with the company’s values of craftsmanship, originality, creativity and inspiration. In 1998 Fired Earth secured the Business of the Year Award at the same event.

For more information, visit www.firedearth.com

Contacting the Fired Earth press office