Both the Noosa Sheraton and Worms Down Under were joint winners at the recent Living Smart Glossies award night. 

The award category was the EnvironBusiness Award and it recognises a project, program or policy that has assisted in achieving improved sustainability within a business or organisation.

The Biosphere Environment Sector Board sponsored the awards as a way to raise awareness of the importance of integrating environmental sustainability initiatives into business.

Photo Caption: L to R - Penelope Mitchell (Worms Down Under), Dr Senoaid Melville (Noosa Biosphere Environment Board Chair)  Richard Phillips (Noosa Sheraton and Spa, Chief Engineer)

Noosa Biosphere Environment Board Chair Dr Seonaide Melville said today that she was "Very pleased that the Sheraton Noosa had been celebrated as one of two joint winners of the Noosa Biosphere EnvironBusiness Category of the Sunshine Coast Council Living Smart Glossies Awards."

This was a new award category for the Glossies and the standard of entries was so high that the judges named 4 entrants as finalist.  The judges were unable to separate the top two entries and decided to name two winners in this category being: The Sheraton Noosa Resort and Spa, and Worms Down Under. 

The Sheraton's entry demonstrated how the company, which is a partner of the State Government ecoBiz program, has found innovative ways to improving eco efficiency by reducing their carbon footprint, improving water efficiency and reducing waste. The Sheraton has integrated solar hot water, composting all of their food waste, increased  recycling, water efficiency and rain water harvesting for use in swimming pool top up and irrigation. 

There have also been significant inroads into reducing energy usage in air-conditioning and lighting. The Resort acknowledges that it is both a major consumer of utilities and waste generator, however they are committed to lessen their environmental impact on the environment whilst contributing to the sustainability of the Biosphere. The resort is situated within the boundaries of the Noosa Biosphere.  Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa entry demonstrated its appreciation that concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental sustainability are aligned with the location and therefore has acted to incorporate these issues into the way that it does business. It is no wonder the resort has been chosen as the pilot hotel for the worldwide Starwood Hotels And Resorts 'Make a Green Choice' program'.
 
Worms Down Under is a coast based business that has embraced Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) into their business operations. The company has demonstrated how its commitment to the LCT program has allowed it to understand the environmental implications of its business and products. LTC has been used to aid with examining whole product systems rather than improvement of a single parameter of environmental performance.  Worms Down Under have investigated and implemented positive changes in all areas of their business including: water use, energy, packaging, production, stationary, waste, design for disassembly, transport and so on. Worms Down Under was nominated for and won 2 Glossies awards in the 2010 program.  Their second award was in the hotly contested Sunshine Coast Tafe - Living Smart Solutions Category.
 
Dr Melville said "Both of these businesses have demonstrated through their actions on environmental sustainability that they are ready to move forward into a new era of business where environmental considerations are fully integrated into all business decisions. Both of these businesses are worthy recipients of our recognition for the efforts that they have already made to bring sustainability into every day business on the Sunshine Coast and in particular the Noosa Biosphere."