Awards for Excellence - 2005

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Winners of the 2005 Awards for Excellence in recycling and waste management were unveiled on October 19 2005, with shadow environment secretary Oliver Letwin highlighting the importance of sustainable waste management work in the UK.

Addressing the awards audience at the event in London, the Conservative frontbencher said the need to recycle more waste rather than send it to landfill was now paramount.

The Awards presenter was broadcaster and ITV newsreader Mary Nightingale who said she was thrilled to be recognising such valuable work with the awards.

You may view the photographs which were taken at the celebratory luncheon.

The winners were:

  • Local Authority Initiative
    Winner - Barnet
    Sponsored by Abitibi Consolidated Recycling Europe

    The move by the London borough of Barnet to impose a legal requirement on residents to recycle won the council the award for local authority initiative of the year.

    The judges noted that while the decision to impose a legal duty had provoked some controversy, they recognised the bold approach by Barnet to recycling and the fact that the council had put tremendous effort in to winning residents' approval.

  • Local Authority Recycling Champion
    Winner - Kevin Pickaver
    Sponsored by Defra

    Local authority recycling champion of the year award was the toughest of decisions, said Jeff Cooper, chair of the judges. Mr Cooper said that he thought that there could easily have been more than three finalists and all three had worked marvellously to deliver and improve recycling services.

    The winner of local authority recycling champion of the year was Kevin Pickaver, project manager for Rushcliffe borough council who has overseen a rise in recycling from 7.6% in 2001 to 54% last year. The other finalists were Steve Bakewell, head of environmental operations at Vale Royal borough council, and Ashfield district council's Edd de Coverly, recycling project manager with Mark Beagley, waste minimisation and recycling officer.

  • High Street Recycling Champion
    Winner - Wineflair
    Sponsored by Severnside

    The Northern Ireland firm Wineflair won this award for implementing a recycling scheme throughout its 43 stores. Most stores can now recycle up to 100% of store waste with work continuing on the development of solutions for food waste and residuals.

  • Commercial Recycling Champion
    Winner - Katrina Alexander
    Sponsored by Valpak

    Judges decided to include the entry from Bullingdon prison within this category because of the wide range of wastes involved at the prison. Ms Alexander won praise for the high level of her involvement in implementing recycling schemes and helping prisoners gain CIWM certificates in waste awareness which could help their employment opportunities in the future.

  • Commercial Waste Management Initiative
    Winner - Natures Way Foods
    Sponsored by Envirocomms

    The company, which is a major supplier of prepared salads, won for the achievements it has made in recycling its waste products, from cardboard and plastic waste through to Wellington boots and even worn-out conveyor belts.

  • Innovation in design of a waste management facility
    Winner - Shropshire county council
    Sponsored by the ESTET Trust

    The all-round environmentally friendly features of the waste management facility at Battlefield Enterprise Park near Shrewsbury caught the attention of judges. The site includes geothermal heating and the use of rainwater for washdown and other facilities.

  • Crew of the Year
    Winner - Daniel Frost and Edward Halkett of Daventry District Council Collection
    Sponsored by SITA UK

    Daniel and Edward were selected by judges for the award because of their exemplary and reliable approach to the provision of a dry recyclables collection service to rural parts of the Daventry area. In particular they noted the pair's excellent timekeeping and their general high standard of approach to their work.

  • Resource management industry and local authority partnership
    Winner - Viridor and Suffolk Recycling Consortium
    Sponsored by PaperChain

    This unique partnership has led to dramatic increases in recycling levels through an alternative route to procuring a waste contract. Judges were impressed by the contract procedure adopted and that the programme had helped push up recycling rates.

  • CA site of the year
    Winner - Somerset County Council
    Sponsored by Transform

    Judges chose Highbridge household waste recycling centre has been consistently achieving high levels of recycling, averaging 80% for 2004/05. The site operates a "meet and greet" policy and provides for the reuse of rainwater.

    Almost 140 entries were received for the 2005 awards, which are aimed at showcasing innovation, dedication and success in recycling and sustainable waste management and are supported by organisations including the Environmental Services Association, the Environment Agency and the National Association of Waste Disposal Officers.