Winners – norming ‘green’ innovation at Tees Business Awards

Winners - Innovation Award and Green Innovation Award 2024

“It’s time green became the norm”

The winner of two categories at the Tees Business Awards says it’s time for firms to challenge themselves on the materials they use - taken from the story published on Tees Business.

Stuff4Life Workwear picked up the Green Innovation AND Innovation awards at the ceremony for its patent-pending technique of recycling polyester. And the firm’s founder and director, John Twitchen, said he was particularly delighted to have also won an award for general, rather than just green, innovation.

He said: “Green innovation is very important but to win mainstream innovation feels even more so.

“We’ve got to normalise this – we’ve got to make it normal for organisations to challenge themselves on their supply chain and materials they use.

“By that, I mean not just the energy, not just the offsets, not just offshoring, but getting to grips with the materials they’re using.”

John Twitchen pictured with Steve Duffield from category sponsor, the Wilton Centre

And referencing the methods used by Stuff4Life, John added: “It’s A-level chemistry and a bit more maybe – it’s not hugely complicated. The complicated bit is changing the ways people have operated for lifetimes and challenging themselves.

“Rather than just being about ‘cost, cost, cost’ it’s about value – what is the value proposition, what’s the whole life cost of a product or process, what’s the impact of the outcome and what’s left behind? Once you get to grips with all of that and internalise some of the external costs, and make a business plan, you can do it.”

Working with Teesside University, Arco and CPI, Mr Twitchen said the plan is now to scale-up the business.