MELBOURNE:Etiko has beaten off stiff competition to take out a leading sustainability gong.
The fair trade clothing, footwear and product company has won The 2008 Premier's Sustainability Award for Small Businesses in Victoria.
The award was created to recognise innovation and achievement in the sustainable use of natural resources, confirmed Victorian Premier John Brumby, who presented the awards at a ceremony at Crown Palladium in Melbourne on April 17.
"The aim of these awards is to recognise Victorian businesses and groups that are reducing their environmental footprint and using resources in innovative ways," he said.
"The winners are standout examples of sustainability in action and I hope that other organisations will follow their lead as best practice examples in their respective fields."
Operating from the suburb of Ferntree Gully, Etiko was originally founded to stop the use of child labour in the production of sports balls.
The company recently added clothing and footwear to its offer, with the introduction of fair trade sneakers and a range of on-trend shirts made by a worker co-operative in Argentina.