A desire to rid the world of disposable diapers led a Katikati company to success at the Sustainable Business Network Bay of Plenty Awards last night.
Nappy Days won the Emerging Small Business category at the awards, held in Rotorua, and will join supreme award winner Energy Options, from Whakatane, and
Emerging Large Business winner SCA Hygiene Australasia, from Kawerau, at the National NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards in Auckland on November 16.
Nappy Days owner Kate Meads described the win and the award entry process as "fantastic".
"It is a big process to enter, but it gives you a great insight into your business and a clear picture of where you are succeeding and where you are failing."
Nappy Days imports cloth nappies from Scotland and works with parents to educate them on how to reduce the tens of thousands of disposable nappies that go into landfill in New Zealand every day.
Nappy Days has customers all around the country and Mrs Meads started the business four years ago when she had her son and could not find easy-to-use, cloth diapers.
She started importing them, and the rest is history.
Mrs Meads' husband, Vaughan, said many people started to look at the world differently once they became parents and the company was well-positioned to help people take a step towards more sustainable living.
Tauranga's Powersmart Solar picked up the Trailblazing Small Business award for its innovative approach to reducing the company's environmental footprint by focusing on travel, packaging and community involvement.
Powersmart Solar's standard of written sustainability policy and reporting were also noted.
Other local finalists included Tauranga's Intalok, Kiss IT and Lyon O'Neale Arnold and DMS, based in Tauranga, Te Puna and Te Puke.
THE WINNERS ARE ...
Sustainable Business Network Bay of Plenty Awards 2010
Sustainable Business of the Year: Energy Options, Whakatane
Emerging Small Business: Nappy Days, Katikati
Trailblazing Small Business: Powersmart Solar, Tauranga
Emerging Large Business: SCA Hygiene Australasia, Kawerau
Productivity: La Nuova Apparelmaster, Inglewood
Not-for-profit Organisation: Energy Options, Whakatane
