Veolia has been named as a winner of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, the UK’s highest accolade for business success.

The award was received for setting the sustainability benchmark and its new business strategy which focuses on manufacturing green energy and calories and places it at the centre of the circular economy.

The company, which has operations across Hertfordshire, recycles over one million tonnes of waste annually and converts non-recyclable waste into energy sufficient to provide electricity and heat to over 300,000 homes.

Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia environnement executive vice-president UK & Ireland, said: “It is an honour to be recognised by Her Majesty the Queen for the work we have done over the last five years transforming the business.

“This award highlights the work all 14,000 members of staff have undertaken to continue to drive the business forward – for us sustainability is not part of our business, it is our business.”

Approximately 160 Queen’s Awards have been announced this year for outstanding business achievement in the fields of International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.

The awards are made annually by HM The Queen, and are only given for the highest levels of excellence demonstrated in each category.