East of England Co-op snags sustainability award for eco-friendly Brightlingsea Travel branch pod

The East of England Co-op reports that its travel pod in Brightlingsea has been awarded Gold status by the Carbon Charter.

The accreditation recognises organisations leading the way in environmental responsibility, and the retailer's Brightlingsea travel pod has been celebrated as a model of sustainable retail infrastructure.

Opened in December 2024 as the new home of the East of England Co-op Travel’s Brightlingsea branch on Samsons Road, it was developed in collaboration with modular design specialists Podular Systems.

The pod, which is the first of its kind for the retailer, incorporates a range of features to minimise carbon impact, including solar power, high spec primary and secondary insulations as part of its structure, air source heat pumps and an A+ energy performance rating.

Steven Fendley, Head of Sustainability at the East of England Co-op, says: "Achieving Gold Carbon Charter status for our Brightlingsea travel pod is a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. This recognition reflects our continued efforts to operate responsibly and find innovative ways to lower our environmental footprint while still delivering great service to our members and customers."

Debbie Wilby, Branch Manager at Brightlingsea Travel, says: “Our customers are absolutely loving the new space, and it is a pleasure to receive so many positive comments. We’re all really enjoying the office it’s such a pleasure to come to work now and it’s a pleasure to talk to customers about the solar panels and eco-friendly our new branch is.”

Daniel Hurcombe, Managing Director at Podular Systems, says: “We were delighted to be nominated by the East of England Co-op to deliver their new Net Zero Travel Agency. The timing of the project was a little challenging, however, the team were a pleasure to work with, ensuring that handover was achieved as per the deadline. We are proud to be a small part of East of England Co-op’s long-term sustainability strategy and of the team effort which achieved Gold status by the Carbon Charter.”

The East of England Co-op is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia with over 200 Food stores, Travel branches and local Funeral Service branches across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Green retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.