Faculty of Science and Technology

Lancaster Environment Centre has helped a local business, EnviroSystems (UK) Ltd, win a Queen's Award for Enterprise (Innovation). These are the UK's most prestigious awards for business, in this instance for substantial improvement in business performance and commercial success, to levels that are outstanding for the size of the company's operations.

LEC scientists advised the waste recycling firm Envirosystems on its new EnviroBed animal bedding product for farms. The firm, which employs four staff near Preston, produces the bedding from the fraction of recycled paper that would normally go to waste.

It won the award after developing the product and marketing it profitably. Chris Holroyd, Ben Herbert and Moira Decter from LEC's Enterprise and Business Partnerships (EBP) team worked closely with Envirosystems' John Singleton.

With North West Development Agency, ERDF and Higher Education Innovation Fund support, the EBP team utilise the university's research expertise for the benefit of companies across the North West.

Chris said: "We had to scratch our heads a little bit at first, but after some laboratory testing and with the help of Professor Dick Horrocks of the University of Bolton, we were able to implement a process to achieve a quality end product."

John Singleton said: "EnviroSystems has developed a process which has taken five years, involving the designing, testing and manufacturing of bespoke processing equipment to produce a consistent product to put into the animal bedding market. The Lancaster University team has helped enormously with the handling and storage part of the business to achieve a stable product".

Fri 14 July 2006

Associated Links

• EnviroSystems (UK) Ltd - Specialists in animal bedding and biological additives for bedding, slurry and silage
• Lancaster Environment Centre - Innovation, training and research for a sustainable future