SolarAid is nominated for three Green Awards

SolarAid has recently entered Islington's Giant Green Awards. We entered two awards within the 'small business' category for: Carbon Reduction and Innovation. However, the judging panel was so impressed by SolarAid's work and endeavours to run a sustainable organisation in London as well as in our programme countries that they put us forward for the Green Champion award too.

The council-led award scheme was set up in 2008 to encourage local businesses in Islington to lower their carbon emissions and support imaginative environmental schemes and innovation.

Below are just some of ways SolarAid's London office has tried to lower its impact on the environment:

• We use environmentally-friendly suppliers for all our printing, stationery, advertising and brand material.
• All of our newsletters and most of our communications with donors is in digital format to avoid printing and paper wastage.
• Our SolarAid t-shirts are made by the ethical clothing company howies who have strong green credentials.
• We never use air conditioning or fans in our office.
• All the furniture in our office is recycled or second-hand.
• We recycle all IT hardware including wireless routers, laptops and phones and send them out to our programmes in Africa when one of the staff is returning, to minimize waste.

The awards ceremony is on Tuesday 13 October so watch this green space!