On July 17, organizers officially announced the winners of the fourth ECO BEST AWARD — an independent public award given to Russian and international companies for the best products and practices that support nature, energy and resource conservation.

Preserving the environment has long been an acute social problem and required special attention, including from enterprises that consume a lot of natural resources in their operations. In 2020, the ECO BEST AWARD expert council, which includes representatives from state authorities and agencies and the expert community, recognized companies that are making undeniable contributions to the development of conscientious consumption through their social initiatives and effective ecosystems. These representatives came from MTS, Directorate for High Speed Service (a branch of Russian Railways), ECO CENTER group, Rossiya Segodnya, Nord Stream 2 AG, SUEK-Krasnoyarsk and the Fix Price chain.

The joint efforts of eco activists and socially responsible companies contribute to the increase in the number of eco-friendly lifestyle supporters from year to year: their environmentally friendly trends make consumers think not only about what the product is made of, but also where it goes after use. Meeting the demand of such discerning consumers is a top priority in modern retail. Even though not all B2C companies have yet embraced this new reality, the number of those who are aware of it and willing to meet their customers halfway is increasing in all segments, from mass market to premium brands. This year, the award experts recognized several companies as being the best in this, including Greenway, Organic Kitchen, Faberlic, Essity (Tork trademark), Greenworks, NEOLab, TM GREEN LOVE, Mirra-M, SPP Yug, and Olesya Mustayeva's Workshop.

"We are delighted that the ECO BEST AWARD jury recognized the Tork Xpressnap range as Product of the Year. It is one of the most sustainable napkin systems on the market that minimizes waste. Caring for nature is one of our priorities at Essity, and we are making every effort to ensure that our products meet the highest environmental standards," said Maxim Barkov, commercial director for the Tork professional product range at Essity.

Minimizing the environmental footprint is also an excellent indicator of a responsible business. "Greenway supports nature conservation by replanting forests destroyed by fires, accepting its own products for recycling, giving them a second life, and taking care of animals. We create more than just goods for life, but real eco-products for conscientious consumption. This year, the company began providing ongoing financial support to the Delfa Dolphin Rescue and Research Center," said Svetlana Semyonova, General Director at Greenway.

Yekaterina Lobasova, Brand Director of Faberlic Household Chemicals, spoke about the company's new brand of household products: "We thank the ECO BEST jury for their high appreciation of our Home Gnome Greenly line of products. They are effective and also environmentally friendly. This line uses recyclable packaging partly made from recycled materials. We are happy that our clients support Faberlic in our common cause of caring for the environment!"

In 2020, the ECO BEST AWARD took place online. As a result, the organizers had to cancel the traditional ECO LIFE FEST. "This decision was not easy for us, but the health of each of our guests comes first. We hope that next year, the epidemiological situation will allow us to return to the usual format and that we will hold the largest festival ever with renewed vigor, with the support from our partners, and people who care even more about nature conservation," Award Director Yelena Khomutova said as she shared her plans for the future.

The award is organized by the Social Projects and Programs Foundation and supported by experts from the Russian Society for Nature Conservation, FSC Russia, Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow Power Engineering Institute and Green Cross Russia.