The Process Premier category award, which was presented to the company on 30 June by the secretary of state for employee relations, Pat McFadden, recognised measures taken by Agfa to reduce raw material and energy usage at its Leeds manufacturing plant.

Sir Anthony Cleaver, president of the BCE Awards, said: "In the current business climate, cost-effectiveness and environmental responsibility often go hand in hand.

"With rising fuel prices and the introduction of carbon taxes, businesses can no longer afford to ignore the environmental impact of their operations."

The production process at the factory previously used lime to neutralise its acidic effluent stream. Solid waste was then extracted from this waste, which subsequently ended up as landfill.

However, in 2006, Agfa adopted a more expensive, yet ultimately cost-saving, caustic soda-based neutralisation process, that creates virtually no solid waste. The effluent is then able to be disposed of as sewage via Yorkshire Water.

Graham Cooper, Agfa Leeds site manager, told PrintWeek that by almost eliminating landfill, the new process saved the company hundreds of thousands pounds per year.

Agfa also won the approval of the judging panel for the development of another waste-saving project that diverts waste heat, which was previously vented into the atmosphere, into its production process.