olar panel installation that has generated over 60,000 kWh of renewable electricity and has recently invested in three Tesla Powerwall batteries to store surplus solar energy and import low-cost green electricity overnight — maximising clean energy use around the clock. Day-to-day the store operates a wide range of practical green initiatives: • Battery and vape recycling collection points • A zero waste programme with incentivised bottle return schemes • Egg boxes collected from customers and put back into use • Cardboard boxes retained for customers to reuse for their own parcels • Used coffee grounds offered to local gardeners as a compost resource • Plant pots returned directly to the supplier for reuse • Eco-friendly cleaning products used exclusively throughout the store • LED lighting & self-closing doors on chillers & freezers • EV charging points Winners were announced at an awards ceremony held at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London on Thursday 2 July, sponsored by Lands Improvement. Sarah Benn, Relationships Team Leader at Plunkett UK, says, “It has been a great joy to recognise and celebrate all of the finalists at this Rural Community Business Awards. Each one is truly dedicated to making a difference in their community and having a considerable impact on the lives of local people in a variety of different ways. Well done to all of this year’s winners - their award is very much deserved!”. There are almost 900 community-owned businesses across the UK so this Award is truly amazing!

Smarden Community Store has been crowned the winner of the Going Green Award at the 2026 Rural Community Business Awards, hosted by Plunkett UK.  

This community-owned business is celebrated for it’s environmental responsibility across every aspect of its operations.  The store runs a solar panel installation that has generated over 60,000 kWh of renewable electricity and has recently invested in three Tesla Powerwall batteries to store surplus solar energy and import low-cost green electricity overnight — maximising clean energy use around the clock.

Day-to-day the store operates a wide range of practical green initiatives:

• Battery and vape recycling collection points

• A zero waste programme with incentivised bottle return schemes

• Egg boxes collected from customers and put back into use

• Cardboard boxes retained for customers to reuse for their own parcels

• Used coffee grounds offered to local gardeners as a compost resource

• Plant pots returned directly to the supplier for reuse

• Eco-friendly cleaning products used exclusively throughout the store

• LED lighting & self-closing doors on chillers & freezers

• EV charging points

Winners were announced at an awards ceremony held at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London on Thursday 2 July, sponsored by Lands Improvement. 

Sarah Benn, Relationships Team Leader at Plunkett UK, says, “It has been a great joy to recognise and celebrate all of the finalists at this Rural Community Business Awards. Each one is truly dedicated to making a difference in their community and having a considerable impact on the lives of local people in a variety of different ways. Well done to all of this year’s winners - their award is very much deserved!”.

There are almost 900 community-owned businesses across the UK so this Award is truly amazing!