Council and Agency achievers win New Year’s Honours

Richard Bower, recycling education officer at Cornwall county council, and Irene Smyth, recycling centre attendant for Magherafelt district council in Northern Ireland, have been awarded MBEs for their outstanding services to local government.

A Member of the Order of the British Empire has also been awarded to former Environment Agency waste manager for the North East, Offord Slater, who retired last year. Mr Slater was recognised for his contribution to waste management and the environment in West Yorkshire.

Bower

Mr Bower, who has worked for Cornwall council for 18 years, was praised by his council for his innovative recycling schemes and for engaging Cornwall’s schools and communities in recycling activities.

In Particular, Cornwall council praised his “key role” in encouraging Yellow Pages and milk container recycling, using recycled glass in “glassphalt” as a road base, raising awareness of initiatives such as the Cornwall Scrapstore and promoting composting through Cornwall’s Eden Project and Heligan gardens.

Speaking after the announcement, he said: “I am touched and humbled by this magnificent honour, and more than a little surprised.”

Mr Bower attributed his success – which has helped to bring recycling rates in Cornwall to 29% for 2005/06 – to the tireless work of his colleagues and other organisations across Cornwall who work to encourage recycling and waste reduction.

He added: “I also want to congratulate the Cornish public who have understood the importance of recycling and waste reduction – I take my hat off to them!”

Commenting on the award, Emma Gowling of the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), suggested that Mr Bower’s constant positive attitude had brought about the official recognition.

Ms Gowing, LARAC’s representative for the South West, said: “Richard is really enthusiastic and is always willing to listen to other recycling officers and the public. He always comes to LARAC meetings and is brewing stuff up all the time – at the moment he is working on competitions for the best compost at a local level to encourage home composting.”

”Irene is known throughout Northern Ireland for her attitude and enthusiasm. We’ve had people come from other councils asking if they can clone her. “
– John Murtagh, Magherafelt council

Smyth

Mrs Smyth, who works at Magherafelt household waste recycling centre, has only been working for Northern Ireland’s Magherafelt district council for two-and-a-half years.

However, speaking to letsrecycle.com today, council recycling officer John Murtagh said her personality had immediately won over the hearts of residents.

He said: “Irene is known throughout Northern Ireland for her attitude and enthusiasm. We’ve had people come from other councils asking if they can clone her. We’ve had more compliments about Irene than other workers have received in 10 years, including letters commenting about her positive attitude.”

Mr Murtagh explained that the centre, which takes around 20,000 tonnes of waste and recyclables a year, provided a high quality drive-through service for residents to recycle materials not collected at the kerbside.

He said: “Irene’s definitely helped to increase recycling at the Magherafelt recycling centre which is probably the best recycling centre in Northern Ireland. A centre is only as good as the people who staff it. Irene knows most people on a first name basis which encourages them to return.”

Slater

Offord Slater, who was with the Environment Agency for 10 years until retiring last year, received recognition for his work as process manager for Pollution Prevention and Control.

Commenting on the award, Mike Hibbert of the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management and a colleague of Mr Slater’s for 18 years, said the former Agency official had been at the forefront of waste management regulation since before the creation of the Environment Agency in 1996.

Mr Hibbert, the CIWM’s North East regional development officer, said: “Prior to joining the agency he was waste regulation officer for Cleveland and West Yorkshire councils and was instrumental in getting waste regulation standards implemented nationally.”

Among Mr Slater’s achievements were the creation of the National Waste Regulations Officer’s Group – a network of local authority waste regulation officers similar to LARAC – which foreshadowed the creation of the Environment Agency.

Mr Hibbert said: “Offord is technically very knowledgeable and put a huge amount of time into promoting waste regulation, was actively involved in CIWM and was at the forefront of promoting standards – such as those governing transfrontier shipment. He has been recognised as a champion for the industry rather than just someone doing his job. “