Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 28.05.2025 
We are incredibly proud to share that BWB Technologies has been named the winner of the Best ESG Program of the Year at the 2025 UK Company Culture Awards. This recognition is a major milestone for our small but ambitious team. With just five employees, we have worked tirelessly to build a sustainability-led culture that puts people and planet at the heart of what we do. Being recognised at a national level affirms that commitment and reinforces our belief that size should never limit impact.
“This win is not just for BWB. It’s for every small business that believes in doing the right thing. Our size hasn’t limited our ambition, and it’s truly rewarding to see that recognised“.
Hozan Edwards, Managing Director of BWB Technologies
About BWB Technologies
BWB Technologies is a UK-based company designing and manufacturing high-quality flame photometers used in laboratories around the world. We are small, but we are specialists. Our commitment to British manufacturing, scientific innovation, and sustainability sets us apart. We do not believe size should limit vision. That is why we challenge ourselves to lead not just in product quality, but in environmental and social responsibility.
We exist to design and manufacture market-leading laboratory instrumentation while championing sustainability, community, and ethical leadership. Through the BWB Community Fund and our ISO 14001-accredited initiatives, we proudly support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and prove that businesses of any size can drive meaningful change. Our vision is to be the global standard for sustainable scientific instrumentation.
We believe in our five core values:
- Innovation: We are committed to continuous development, always designing new products and enhancing existing ones to maintain our position as a market leader.
- Integrity: We uphold our commitments, act with honesty, embrace diversity, prioritise safety, and treat everyone with equal respect.
- Excellence: We strive to be the best in the market and are passionate about consistently delivering high-quality products and services.
- Community: We actively support our local community, our community of suppliers, customers and distributors, and prioritise a healthy work-life balance for our internal team.
- Sustainability: We integrate sustainable practices into our activities and partner with reputable, ethical suppliers in our efforts to minimise our impact on the planet.
What this award means to us
We entered the Company Culture Awards with a clear message: proving micro businesses can make an impact. ESG is not a side project for us. It is central to how we operate. From our carbon reduction goals to our work with young people in STEM, every initiative is shaped by our mission to innovate responsibly and lead with purpose. We saw the awards as an opportunity to highlight what is possible when values drive strategy and to encourage other small businesses to pursue positive change without waiting for perfect conditions or bigger teams.
We were honoured for our entry to be described by the judges as:
“A strong, compelling case for how micro-businesses can make a significant impact on ESG. Their effective use of SMART goals and clear objectives, along with well-defined tactics, made the process easy. The results outlined were impressive and clearly linked back to the organisation’s original goals, showcasing their successful execution.”
This award is a celebration of our people, our partners, and our purpose. It affirms that our values are more than words on a wall. They are lived, measured, and felt across everything we do. For our team, this recognition boosts morale and pride. For our customers and collaborators, it reinforces the trust they place in us. And for our community, it proves that integrity and impact can come from anywhere, no matter your size.
Our ESG efforts
Our sustainability approach is built around three pillars: environment, social responsibility, and governance. Together, these shape every aspect of our business.
Environmental impact has been a top priority. We are committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 as part of the SME Climate Hub. Already, we have transitioned to 100 percent renewable electricity, achieved zero waste to landfill, and redesigned our flame photometers to use 13.3 percent less gas and 25.93 percent less electricity. We have also planted over 17,000 trees to offset our product-related emissions.
On the social side, we are helping to open doors for young people in STEM, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. We have offered apprenticeships, school partnerships, and hands-on placements. One of those placements turned into a full-time role, which was a proud moment for everyone involved. We also launched the BWB Community Fund in 2024, and donated £3,300 in our first year to local charities and initiatives.
Our approach to governance includes full Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reporting under the GHG Protocol, ISO 14001 and 50005 integration, and sustainable procurement across our supply chain. Transparency and accountability are woven into how we operate internally and externally, backed up by our policies to ensure we are held accountable.
“Our sustainability efforts involve us doing the best we can to integrate our values into our work; while operating with the resources of a micro-business. We have to be incredibly strategic, creative and determined to achieve our goals – but we are showing that our ambitions can be achieved, and it is possible to operate responsibly as a small business in manufacturing”. Hazel Fell, Sustainability Manager.
We planned carefully and invested £50,000 into making our ESG ambitions real. £15,000 went into employee training, community engagement, and operational upgrades. The remaining £35,000 was invested in product R\&D to create more energy-efficient, lower-emission instruments. We also made physical changes to our site, including LED lighting, better insulation, and upgraded heating systems. Internally, we ran workshops on energy management and eco-conscious commuting. And in the community, we supported local environmental initiatives year-round.
Our work has already delivered measurable outcomes. We have conducted detailed calculations of our scope emissions to enable reduction initiatives, generated £110,000 in additional revenue from greener products, and won two national environmental awards in 2024. But beyond the numbers, we have seen a boost in employee engagement and feedback from apprentices and community members who have gained real skills and opportunities from our programs.
What’s next for BWB Technologies?
This award inspires us to go further. We will continue investing in our products, our people, and the planet. We will keep sharing what we learn along the way and pushing the boundaries of what a small team can do. Whether you are a customer, partner, industry professional, or fellow business owner, thank you for believing in what we are building.
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