For the second year running, the Irish Made Awards will feature a special category to honour sustainable Irish businesses
Sustainability is a topic we are passionate about at Irish Country Magazine, and we have brought that conversation into every issue with our Sustainable Spotlight feature and Jo Linehan’s insightful column. We care about sharing ways people can live with a lower impact, and that couldn’t happen without the brilliant work of makers who are creating products that are kind to the planet.
If your business has introduced exciting new innovations and creations that will take great strides in terms of sustainability, we want to celebrate you. This award is for those that are changing the game in exciting, ground-breaking ways that will make a lasting difference.
Ballyseedy is one of Ireland’s most sophisticated home and lifestyle destinations based in Tralee, Co Kerry. Their philosophy is simple; People, Plants, Planet. With these three core values in mind, we are thrilled to welcome them to the Irish Made Awards as our Sustainability sponsor in this category. Ballyseedy offers expert gardening advice, premium plants, quality al-fresco accessories and beautiful Irish Made gifts. The group also operate three additional cafés in partnership with Dairygold, located in Raheen, Co Limerick, Midleton and Carrigaline in Co Cork and are currently expanding within Munster.
Elizabeth Fearns, Head of PR & Marketing at Ballyseedy says: “This is our second year as title sponsor in this category, we thoroughly enjoyed the process last year. Seeing the efforts that Irish businesses go through and the consciousness around the environment was inspirational, not to mention the incredible talent and entrepreneurial leadership this country has – it’s something very special. We’re very much looking forward to this year’s Irish Made Awards journey and wish each entry the best of luck!”
Meet the past Sustainability winner and runner-up of the Irish Made Awards:
The 2022 winner of the Sustainability Award was Nunaia. Mindfully manufactured on the shores of Lough Derg in Co Tipperary, Nunaïa creates skincare rituals designed to nourish the skin and soul. Founder Nicola Connolly worked as a sustainability consultant for over a decade, and the brand’s sustainability initiatives go across the whole supply chain. The 100% plant-based ingredients are farmed using regenerative agricultural practices that leave the land richer and more biodiverse and the products are fully biodegradable and safe for our water systems. Nunaïa is the first company in Ireland to use zero waste packaging made from mycelium which is the root structure of mushrooms and upcycled hemp waste.
Our runner-up for this award last year was Ethos CBD. Conceived with the mission of providing quality organic CBD and hemp products to improve people’s lives, Ethos pioneers a new form of health, achieved naturally. The brand, created by Amy O’Flaherty and Fergus Kerrigan, endeavours to grow and create products with a perpetual focus on sustainability. As a business, they are leading the way on supporting farms, the environment and communities to thrive. Ethos prides itself on delivering the health and wellbeing needs of each customer through innovative product ranges, supported always by science.
For details on how to enter the Irish Made Awards, see the Awards page, and FAQs here.
Please note the new Sustainability category is not for individual entry – if you would like to enter this category, please first select your category from the choices in the drop-down menu, and then tick the Sustainable box within the form. An entry box will appear where you can then enter your details on sustainable practises within your business. The Sustainability Shortlist will be comprised of the top-scoring entrants in the field of sustainability across the categories.
