Broad range of winners for 2006 Awards for Excellence

The award for Local Authority Recycling Champion for 2006 was won by Mark Shelton, waste policy manager for Cambridgeshire county council while a collection crew from Doncaster run by the Community West Recycling Partnership clinched the Collection Crew of the Year award.

Delivering the keynote address at the Awards, Jennie Price, chief executive of the Waste and Resources Action Programme, spoke of the revolution that was happening in waste and highlighted the fact that the household recycling rate for England had jumped from 23% to 27% in 2005/6.

Mrs Price said: “It has never been more timely to showcase the achievements of the recycling industry. To deliver the necessary magnitude of change in waste management and recycling requires significant innovation and imagination, and these awards help to demonstrate and reward the progress being made.”

Showcase
More than 170 entries were received for the 2006 awards, aimed at showcasing innovation, dedication and success in recycling and sustainable waste management and supported by the Waste Implementation Programme (DEFRA), the Environmental Services Association, the Environment Agency and the National Association of Waste Disposal Officers.

The full list of 2006 winners is:

Retail recycling champion
sponsored by Severnside Recycling
Winner: PDM Group

PDM Group, the UK’s largest processor of meat and poultry by-products, responded to the introduction of the European Animal By-products Regulations by developing a collection and recycling service for the retail sector.

Using a fleet of vehicles fitted to enable easy cleaning of bins, the company transports food waste to processing plants. It then de-packages food, and uses it to make bio fuel, soap and bio diesel. The network now has 7,000 users, including Sainsbury's and Asda. In the year ending July 2006, the service diverted 25,500 tonnes of food waste from landfill.

The judges viewed the 'milk round' system that PDM Group has developed as providing an essential and forward-looking service, resulting in beneficial recycling and energy recovery.

Commercial recycling champion
sponsored by Valpak
Winner: Chris Shoel, safety and environment manager, Coca-Cola Enterprises.

Chris Shoel works with the company’s Green Team at the Milton Keynes site to help ensure the company improves its recycling rate and reduces waste, with a particular emphasis on landfill reduction and elimination. With the Green Team, he has introduced effective methods of segregating waste in conjunction with the site's waste contractor. This includes large investment in technology, improved signage, and strategic placement of bins/facilities. The team also educated workers on site about the benefits of recycling and segregating waste – the key change has been cultural.

Recycling at Milton Keynes has risen from 107 tonnes in November 2005 to 164 tonnes in May 2006 – an increase of 53% in six months. Landfill has been reduced from 10 tonnes per period in 2005 to less than one
tonne, with plans for further dramatic reduction.

Judges said that the entry closely fitted the category, showing how individuals can tackle a variety of waste streams and increase recycling through team work. The judges were also impressed with the innovative approach shown for tackling waste.

Commercial Waste Management Initiative
sponsored by Shanks
Winner: Midland Mainline

Midland Mainline has both championed a range of initiatives aimed at educating 11-16 year olds about the importance of waste management and recycling, as well as achieving a remarkable 50% recycling rate from its trains. In the depot in Derby, paper, glass bottles, cans and cardboard are now removed from the trains' waste stream and sent for recycling.

Midland Mainline has also been working closely with secondary schools on a project called Momentum, in which there is a module called 'What a Waste'. The module aims to encourage Midland Mainline's future customers to debate the subject of recycling and to be active in sustainability.

The judges considered that in tackling this waste stream, Midland Marine had put in a great deal of effort and coordination, while its education work broadened the company’s efforts to improve its recycling rate.

Collection Crew of the Year
sponsored by SITA UK
Presented to David Haggard, Mick Walford and Jack Caress, a three-man crew from Community West Recycling Partnership, working for Doncaster MBC.

Community West Recycling Partnership, working for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, nominated David, Mick and Jack because they are “the men who management can rely on”. Despite being CWRP's oldest crew, with a combined age of 181, they outshine many of their younger employees in attitude and fitness.

All ex-miners, the crew has an exceptional attendance record and an unblemished safety record. The trio has also been advising managers about where education work needs to be done on the rounds. They have built a close relationship with the householders they collect from and at Christmas time, they share gifts with all involved in the work, at the depot or on the rounds.

Judges acknowledged the crew for doing a professional job with a friendly manner.

Innovation in Design of a Waste Management Facility
sponsored by ESTET
Winner: Veolia Environmental Services

The Integra South East Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Portsmouth is described as an integrated waste disposal and recycling system and was designed to tackle Hampshire's waste disposal crisis. The 165,000 tonne capacity ERF generates 14MW of electricity for export to the National Grid, enough to power more than 14,000 local homes.

Judges regarded the facility as aesthetically pleasing and well thought through. The modern looking facility, which has a nautical touch, fits well with the heritage of Portsmouth, especially being within the city itself.

Resource Management Industry and Local Authority Partnership
sponsored by PaperChain
Winner: a partnership between Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, Paperchase and UPM Shotton

Over the last four years this partnership has seen paper collected from households in Bolton increase by 6,000 tonnes. The partnership is promoting a closed-loop system, with paper eventually being used by the Bolton/Manchester Evening News. Paperchase collects from around 116,000 households, plus schools and businesses. In 2005/06 10,519 tonnes were collected. Paperchase has achieved these amounts despite a fire in November 2005 which destroyed its factory.

Judges considered the entry as having met the criteria well, with the recovered material being used for recycling within the region. Some difficulties were overcome and now high recycling rates are being seen.

Civic Amenity Site of the Year
sponsored by Biffa Waste Services and W&S; Recycling
Winner: Leicestershire County Council

Serving the largest town in the county, the Loughborough Recycling and Household Waste Site deals with over 10,000 tonnes of waste every year and is one of 14 such sites in Leicestershire.

Requiring the purchase of additional land, construction work was completed in late 2005, a new split-level site opened in February 2006 with vastly improved access and a wider range of materials that can be recycled.

Aided by a Defra grant, the Loughborough site's face lift has seen recycling rates increasing from just 1
11.9% in 2003/04 to 43.7% in 2005/06. Expectations are that this year will see recycling rates passing 50%.

Judges commended the council for a clever redevelopment of a difficult site, which has quickly achieved a good recycling rate, as well as higher satisfaction levels among users.

Best Local Authority Recycling Initiative
sponsored by Abitibi-Consolidated Recycling Europe
Winner: Preston City Council

Preston City Council with Lancashire county council and SITA UK have been running a kitchen waste collection scheme for 7,500 inner-city households since May 2005.

With support from the Lancashire Environmental Fund, the scheme has engaged with local religious leaders to include Muslim and Hindu communities in the service.

A door-stepping campaign helped cut the initial 40 percent contamination rate to 10 percent within days, and with 400 tonnes of food waste collected and composted during the first year, the scheme now has a tiny rejection rate. Research from Preston is now helping in the establishment of similar schemes across the UK.

The judges viewed Preston’s food waste composting scheme as being well targeted and well used for data collection. It responded to specific local needs and was a good approach to helping remove biodegradables from the waste stream.

Local Authority Recycling Champion
sponsored by recycling.co.uk
Winner: Mark Shelton of Cambridgeshire County Council

Mark Shelton, waste policy manager at Cambridgeshire County Council, has overseen a substantial rise in the county's recycling rate – from 31 percent in 2003 to 51 percent earlier this year.

Having joined the council in 1998 as recycling officer, Mark became recycling manager in 2001. He has helped spearhead investment in in-vessel composting and develop the Slim Your Bin campaign and other projects. Well-respected by his peers, he contributes to the work of several groups and organisations.
Mark has also instigated limited WEEE collections at civic amenity sites ahead of rules coming into force next year.

The judges said that Mark has consistently delivered on recycling projects, helped drive up recycling within Cambridgeshire and contributed to broader projects.