An entrepreneur who launched a recycling business with some doors he found in a skip has been honoured with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.

Joseph Holman, founder and CEO of Green Doors, has spent the past decade turning unwanted doors and windows into a thriving upcycling operation.

Now, the 34-year-old who has saved thousands of doors from landfill will be walking through the gates of Windsor Castle to meet the King.

“Winning the King’s Award is huge for our business, I think it will really open doors for us,” said Holman. “I started ten years ago with a set of doors I found in a skip. Soon, I’ll be shaking hands with the King. We have been working tirelessly at our warehouses in Luton. This is a huge boost for the team.”

Green Doors rescues pre-loved, surplus, mis-measured doors and windows and gives them a second chance. Last year alone, the business saved over 3,000 items alone, selling them to builders, homeowners and renovators.

With revenues of roughly £2 million and a team of 12 employees, some known as “door doctors,” Green Doors is leading a growing movement to reduce waste in the construction industry.

“We want to use this moment to call for change in our industry,” Holman added.

“Perfectly good doors and windows are being dumped every day. There’s a better way and we’ve proven it works.”

The King’s Award is among the highest honours a British business can receive, recognising outstanding achievements in innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity.

This year’s win places Green Doors among a small group of pioneers leading the UK’s push towards a greener economy.

Holman says the award will be a springboard for growth. “We’re ready to scale. We’re calling on partners, customers and investors who want to make a real impact.”