Second Queen's Award for Woolcool

Stone-based Woolcool has been recognised in the 2022 Queen’s Award for Enterprise for sustainable development.

Woolcool has spent more than a decade investing millions of pounds developing temperature-controlled packaging products for the food and pharmaceutical markets, which use 100 per cent sheep’s wool as an alternative to polluting man made insulation such as polystyrene.

Managing director Josie Morris said: “It is a huge honour to receive a second Queen’s Award for Enterprise, this time for sustainable development – following the Royal recognition we received for innovation in 2018.

“After more than a decade of research and development into the properties of wool, which has proven conclusively that it outperforms polluting man made insulators, this award helps drive home the message that the use of natural materials offers a truly sustainable alternative for businesses that want to seriously address the climate challenges we all face.

“Coming after the challenges of the last two years, this award also reflects the hard work and resilience of the entire Woolcool team, as well as our valued wider family of suppliers, clients, customers and friends.”

Woolcool was founded as The Wool Packaging Company in 2009 .

Big names such as Able & Cole and John Lewis use Woolcool packaging to ensure their chilled food deliveries arrive in perfect condition, while pharmaceutical and clinical clients like Coop and Henry Schein trust the firm’s years of research and development with institutions including Cambridge University to deliver life-saving medical supplies within vital temperature ranges.

The firm’s innovation has now gone a step further, with the launch of their Hortiwool brand – the first product of which is a versatile and fully-sustainable pad made from 100 per cent wool, which can be used in a number of ways in and around the garden.

Founder Angela Morris said: “As a company founded on ecological principles, we are so proud to have achieved the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in sustainable development.

“When we first began promoting the benefits of using natural materials it was before the notion of sustainability had really become popular.

“Now, after almost two decades of serious academic research and design innovation, this award provides not only acknowledgment of the pioneering position we took many years ago, but the results we have achieved since.”

Angela was instrumental in the setting up of the Natural Materials Association, a professional network representing the entire breadth of natural materials from academic research to commercial application use and reuse.

In 2019 Prince Charles visited Woolcool’s base in Stone to learn more about how the firm uses 100 per cent wool to create sustainable products.

In June 2021 Josie was recognised with an MBE for services to manufacturing and the environment.