Manchester-based ready meal provider, Wiltshire Farm Foods, has been awarded a King’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2024.
Regarded as the UK’s highest business accolade, it is the fourth time the company has received the Royal honour, having previously won three Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
The company’s ambitious closed-loop recycling scheme – which involves customers returning food trays back to drivers where 100% of them are subsequently recycled into new trays – is a world-first initiative on an industrial scale.
This groundbreaking project has seen 25 million trays be recycled to date; an achievement which gained considerable recognition from the award body and helped to secure this prestigious win.
Manchester regional sales and operations manager, Andy Cooper, said: “On behalf of the whole team, we are so proud to be recognised with a King’s Awards for our closed-loop recycling tray scheme.
“This is all down to the tireless work from our drivers and their relationships with our customers – getting them involved in doing their bit for the environment has been a real motivator and something they really enjoy being a part of.
“It’s a brilliant example of teamwork at its best!”
The award also recognises parent company apetito’s commitment to doing business in a way that positively impacts on the environment. Its ambition to reach Net Zero by 2040 and its dedication to meet challenging short-term targets for carbon reduction, demonstrates how the company is committed to supporting climate change.
