FOR 13 years, Colin Hills worked on his ground-breaking green idea to convert ash into construction material.

That idea, now off the drawing board and dubbed "potentially world-changing", reaped its reward when the Whitstable lecturer and his colleagues from the University of Greenwich collected the coveted top dragonfly trophy at the 21st annual Environment Awards for Kent Business.

They created Carbon8 Systems just 10 months ago, yet the firm, based at Medway Enterprise Hub, has already won two trophies and a string of plaudits.

The fledgling firm won unanimous praise from the judges for its pioneering "accelerated carbonation technology" used to treat waste such as incinerator ash by reacting it with carbon dioxide to produce aggregate for use in concrete blocks.

This technology could reduce the impact of climate change through its consumption of large amounts of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas.

Carbon8 technology is planning mobile and fixed plants and the firm has won a £47,000 Government grant towards a pilot scheme.

Dr Hills first embarked on his project at Imperial College London where he observed reactions taking place in hazardous waste. At the time they were detrimental to what he was doing, but he thought: "What happens if we actually promote them?"

After moving to the University of Greenwich, the environmental engineer and former geologist pursued his research and teamed up with colleagues with a shared passion.

Now a lecturer in environmental science and geology, Dr Hills believes the firm could soon be earning £6million a year. "It has the potential to go global," he said.

Roger Manning, Kent County Council’s lead member for environment, presented the Kent Environment Business of the Year award at the East Malling Conference Centre. He called the company "a truly outstanding potentially world-beating Kent business".

Carbon8 also won the Innovative Climate Change Technology and Pioneering Advances in Water Treatment.

Cllr Manning commended the awards for 21 years of encouraging businesses to go green. "Following the publication of the Stern report, businesses are now more aware that their impact on the environment is going to make a difference both financially and enivonmentally," he said.

"Today is a celebration of what Kent schools and businesses are doing to keep us at the forefront of sustainable green technology."

Other winners: Helionix Designs (Embracing Sustainable Design Principles), Kent Art Printers (Commitment to Continuous Improvement), Ridge Crest Cleaning Ltd (Promoting Environmentally Sound Cleaning),Hillreed Home (Water Awareness and Behavioural Change), Donnington Manor Hotel (Sustainability in Tourism), ReUse Thameswood (Leading Biomass Solution for Kent), Compact and Bale (Facilitating Recycling Best Practice), Free Radical Technology (Pioneering Advances in Water Treatment), and Costain (Responsible Construction and Site Management). The Skinners School, Tunbridge Wells, and Sweyne Junnior School, Swanscombe won special awards.

Sponsors were Kent Sustainable Business Partnership, KCC, the Carbon Trust, Pfizer, Cyberkix, McNeil Engineering, Kent Messenger Group, Environment Agency and Business Link Kent.