Stowmarket-based malt business Muntons has been named as the UK’s 20th greenest company in a recent survey.

The malt and malted ingredients supplier moved up 21 places on last year’s ranking, of the country’s most environmentally friendly businesses, published by the Sunday Times.

Beating the likes of Coca-Cola and HSBC, the firm was also the highest-ranked business from the UK food sector.

It’s the third year the firm has featured in the Sunday Times Best Green Companies awards scheme, which recognises businesses in all sectors for their efforts to reduce their impact on the environment. Muntons said the judges were impressed by a number of the firm’s initiatives, including a £5m investment in environmentally-favourable pro-cessing equipment to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions, and the installation of the most energy-efficient kilning systems in the world.