It’s not easy to miss the passion and intensity in Greene Tweed European Quality Manager Darral Beresford’s eyes when he talks about environmental sustainability. For Darral, the commitment to pursuing climate-friendly practices goes beyond lip service, as recently proven by his drive to secure the company’s first ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System certification with BSI (International Certification Audit Body). It’s for spearheading this important initiative that Darral has been honored with the Greene Tweed Innovation Award, which spotlights and rewards exceptional efforts to push the boundaries of innovation and collaboration.  

On the heels of a special event at Greene Tweed’s UK plant, where President and CEO Magen Buterbaugh and COO Justine Franchina recognized Darral’s achievement – featuring a Great British Bakeoff-worthy cake – we sat down with Darral to learn more about the path to certification and why it’s such a significant step in the company’s sustainability journey. 

Congratulations on being selected as an Innovation Award honoree! Let’s start with what you’re being recognized for. What does the ISO 14001:2015 certification mean to you? 

Thank you! For me, the certification for our Nottingham, UK facility is not just a piece of paper. This achievement is a springboard for the company’s long-term sustainability vision and commitment to reduce environmental footprint throughout operations, reducing energy consumption, water usage, and waste generation. This is a huge step in our ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) journey spearheaded by the Greene Tweed ESG task team, which I’m a member of. These certificates don’t always get the recognition they deserve, but this is a great standard for driving emission initiatives and cost savings while opening a platform for new business. How else would you judge the effectiveness of your efforts to mitigate environmental risks and drive continuous improvements without the impartial assessment provided by an external independent certification body?

Absolutely. Can you tell us a bit more about your journey to achieve the ISO certification? 

To achieve this certificate, I meticulously planned and developed an environmental management system covering policies, procedures, legislation, and improvement initiatives, followed by a thorough four-day audit to ensure compliance. I must thank Magen [Buterbaugh] for her support all through the journey. She endorsed and catalyzed the initiative, which inspired me to pursue the certification even over weekends and later hours, leading up to the extensive evaluation process that followed. We conducted an in-depth assessment of our environmental management systems, a management system documentation review, and an audit of our processes and compliance, which was successful with no major non-conformances identified following the five-day assessment visit.  

What’s next on the path to helping Greene Tweed’s operations become more sustainable? 

At the UK facility, comprehensive awareness training was completed for all UK staff fostering a culture of sustainability across the plant. It was encouraging to see a large number of people adapting to environmental and cost-saving best practices in which small steps can make a huge difference. The introduction of solar panels at the UK plant scheduled for later this year will further reduce our carbon footprint, which we’re extremely proud to be pursuing. Moreover, we will be introducing an app allowing department heads to monitor equipment by consumption and cost usage in their area of responsibility which has turned energy conversation into a competitive pursuit, amplifying the impact. 

How would you describe its impact on the organization? 

This is not just my personal achievement, but a win for the entire UK plant and overall company. It’s about upholding our commitment to environmental and occupational health and safety standards, setting a precedent for excellence and ethical management systems in our industry.