SMI Shortlisted for two Edie Awards 2026

We’re proud to share that SMI has been shortlisted for two Edie Awards 2026.

These shortlists reflect our focus on clear data, transparency, and practical action. Showing how informed purchasing decisions can drive real environmental and social change.

SMI is recognised at the Edie Awards 2026 

The Edie Awards are one of the UK’s most respected sustainability awards. They celebrate organisations delivering measurable environmental and social impact. 

This year, SMI has been shortlisted in two categories, recognising both our customer engagement initiatives and our work with DOC Cleaning to improve supply chain sustainability. 

The awards ceremony will take place in March 2026, and we’re excited to see the results.  

This shortlisting reflects the hard work, collaboration, and commitment across our teams to embed sustainability into everything we do. 

SMI SHORTLISTED FOR ‘CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT & BEHAVIOUR CHANGE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR’

Our nomination comes from our work behind Educating for Everyday Earth.

This award focuses on how we help customers make informed, sustainable purchasing decisions through our range of eco workwear,  PPE, and low-impact products.

THE IMPACT BEHIND THE NOMINATION

Since launching the project in 2023, we’ve seen measurable impact: 

• Recycling box sales more than doubled. 
• 160% increase in carbon savings over two years. 
• 152% increase in recycled product volumes compared with year one. 
• 919.86 tonnes of GHG emissions were avoided from January to October 2025. 

EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

SMI helps customers make sustainable choices through clear guidance and engagement. 

Three educational booklets focus on actionable insight:  

• Life on Earth - carbon reduction and sourcing responsibly. 
• Divert from Earth - practical waste reduction and recycling. 
• Life below Earth - understanding microplastics and water impact. 

Other engagement activities include: 

• Webinars and ESG digest videos to support informed decisions. 
• Direct engagement to help teams adopt sustainable behaviours. 
• Workshops, sustainability fairs, and exhibitions to bring learning to life. 

This approach helps embed sustainability into everyday purchase decisions, rather than treating it as a separate initiative. 

SMI SHORTLISTED FOR ‘SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR’ 

SMI and DOC Cleaning have been shortlisted for the Edie Award for our work improving supply chain sustainability through the Beyond Cleaning Catalogue. 

This collaboration focused on reducing environmental impact while maintaining the quality, comfort, and performance DOC Cleaning teams rely on every day. 

 

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH 

Working closely with DOC Cleaning, SMI supported a full transition to more sustainable workwear options across the catalogue. 

Key actions included: 

• Added sustainability indicators to guide procurement choices. 
• Streamlined the catalogue to reduce complexity and improve efficiency. 
• Product trials and team feedback ensured comfort, inclusivity, and performance. 
• Transitioned DOC Cleaning’s full workwear range to environmentally responsible alternatives. 

This approach ensured sustainability improvements were practical, measurable, and right for real working environments. 

 

PRODUCT-LEVEL AND MATERIAL IMPACT 

Across the DOC Cleaning catalogue, each garment repurposes the equivalent of 82 plastic bottles, helping to keep waste out of landfill. 

By incorporating recycled bottles into the fabric, this reduces an estimated 99.22kg of CO₂e per product. 

To put this into perspective: 

• An order of 100 units in 2026 would repurpose around 8,200 plastic bottles.  
• This would avoid an estimated 9.92 tonnes of CO₂e. 

Alongside this, the collaboration has already delivered additional material recovery benefits, with 63kg of textiles recycled, supporting a more circular approach to workwear.

 

SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE 

Alongside product-level improvements, DOC Cleaning benefits from working with high-performing, responsible suppliers. 

Across DOC Cleaning’s top seven suppliers within the Beyond Cleaning category: 

• The average RSPS supplier score is 76%. 
• This achieves a Platinum performance level. 

This highlights a strong commitment to responsible sourcing and sustainability across the wider supply chain. 

LONG-TERM IMPACT 

Through this partnership, sustainability is now embedded into DOC Cleaning’s procurement decisions, rather than treated as a separate initiative. 

Clear data, supplier transparency, and real-world testing ensure environmental performance, comfort, and quality are considered at every stage. This creates lasting value for DOC Cleaning teams, suppliers, and the environment. 

Celebrating the team and looking ahead 

SMI is proud of the recognition our teams have received. These shortlists reflect the hard work, collaboration and commitment that go into embedding sustainability and responsible practices across everything we do.  

A huge thank you to everyone involved, especially our brilliant ESG team, whose dedication continues to drive meaningful progress. 

We’re excited to see what 2026 brings and look forward to continuing our work to support people, communities, and the planet.