Bayfair Shopping Centre has proven its sustainability after winning the overall award and the large business trailblazer award at the Sustainable Business Network awards last night for the second year running.
There was one other finalist in this category, Scion, a Crown research institute, dedicated to building a stronger bio-energy based economy for New Zealand with a vision to use renewable resources and waste streams derived from plants to create new materials and energy sources.

Bayfair operations manager Steve Ellingford and members of his team.

Bayfair operations manager, Steve Ellingford, says being sustainable is a core part of the business and is important regardless of recession.
'Even in tough times it pays to be sustainable.”
He illustrated this with some cost benefit analysis.
'We have knocked waste cost down by 43 per cent and invested in public relations with $417,000.”
While sustainability is often thought expensive, many businesses see long term savings in it. Winner of SBN's small business emerging award, BOP Apparelmasters co-owner Dion Warner says, 'I was very scared to become sustainable but we have made a very big saving from the effort.”
Another winner at the awards was Energy Options Ltd in the not-for-profit trailblazer category and they too had achieved success through sustainable practice and now have off shore potential and are negotiating in both Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
Other winners at the awards, in front of about 200 people were, Trevelyan's Pack and Cool Ltd for the BOP productivity award, Devan Plastics Ltd as winners of the sustainable design and innovation award, Energy Options Ltd for the not-for-profit trailblazer award, and Chelsea Flower show winner, Landscape Design Company, as small business trailblazer award winner.

Alistair Hawkey and members of his team from Trevelyans Pack and Cool Limited, winners of BOP productivity award.

General Manager of Energy Options Limited, Nik Gregg, winners of not-for-profit trailblazer award.