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Shortlist announced for the Awards for Excellence 2026

The shortlist for the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management 2026 has been officially announced, with organisers reporting another record year for entries across all categories.

The Awards recognise outstanding achievements from local authorities, private operators, community organisations, technology providers and innovators working across the UK’s resources and waste sector. Submissions this year highlight strong progress in recycling performance, environmental impact, circular economy development, community engagement and operational excellence.

Winners will be announced at the ceremony on 13 May 2026 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London.

Early bird pricing for tickets and table packages is available until 5PM on Thursday 12 March, after which all packages will rise by 10%.

Drumroll please! Here are the shortlisted finalists for the Awards For Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management 2026:


Waste Management Initiative in the Retail, Commercial and Public Sector

Apleona UK
Bywaters & The Kia Oval
Enva
Excel London
Grosvenor Services
Innovate Recycle
ISS MEDICLEAN
Mitie & HUTH
Redcorn Limited
Veolia, Southbank Centre and The Green Block
VINCI Facilities
Wastebuster, Currys, Material Focus, Microsoft, DHL, Ecogenesys


Circular Economy Success

Amcor
Murray & Yeatman; Recorra
MYGroup
North Tyneside Council
Panda
Silverlake Automotive Recycling
SRC Group
TTB CircularIT
The Collard Group
The Furniture Recycling Group Ltd
WRAP


Innovation of the Year

Allison Transmission Europe BV
Binit Group Limited
Cellcycle
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Fleetclear
Gavin Griffith Group
Go4Greener Waste Management & Advetec
NuGreen
Panda
re3 Waste Partnership – Bracknell Forest, Reading Borough, Wokingham Borough and FCC Environment
Skanska UK
Trovr Tech
What Waste Code


Collection Crew of the Year

Biffa
Countrystyle Recycling
Forward Waste Management
Intelligent Waste Management Limited
Serco
Serco Lambeth
Serco Sandwell
Shred Station
SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
Terra Verde Services Ltd


Health & Safety Initiative of the Year

Biffa
CBSS
Cheshire West Recycling
East London Waste Authority
FCC Environment
Panda
SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
Veolia, Sussex Police and Sussex’s Police and Crime Commissioner
Viridor
Westminster City Council, STORM and Veolia UK


Best Local Authority Recycling Initiative

Bedford Borough Council and Biogen UK Ltd
Biffa & City of Lincoln Council
Derry City & Strabane DC
East and North Herts Councils
Flintshire County Council
Hull City Council
Kent County Council
London Borough Barking and Dagenham
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
North London Waste Authority & Resource Media


Contribution to Tackling Net-Zero

Biogen UK Ltd
Circle Recycling Limited
Harvest Green Developments
London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
McGee Group Holdings
MYGroup and Ansell
Panda
PSH Environmental
SER Group
Silverstone Circuits


Local Authority Individual or Team of the Year

Ambreesh Shadani – Veolia Westminster Commercial Waste Services
Biffa East Sussex
Biffa Norwich
Cherwell District Council
Cumberland Council
Devon County Council Waste Management Team
East and North Herts Councils
Fife Council
Lincolnshire County Council
London Borough of Hackney
Sefton Council


Service Change at a Local Authority Level

Basildon Borough Council
Devon County Council
London Borough of Harrow
London Borough of Merton
North Somerset Council
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils
SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, in partnership with Milton Keynes City Council
Swindon Borough Council
Veolia, Watford Borough Council


Reuse Initiative of the Year

Bags of Ethics and British Airways
Circular&Co.
Community RePaint
Freegle
Kent County Council and FCC Environment
Lincolnshire County Council
Oxfam Ireland
Plan B Management Solutions
PropUp Project
Sarah Turner Eco Art & Design
The Fixy Project
Veolia


Campaign of the Year

Biffa
enfinium
Grundon
Keep Scotland Beautiful, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, New College Lanarkshire
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
PermiServ
Staffordshire County Council
SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
Wastebuster, Currys, Recycle your Electricals, Microsoft, DHL, Ecogenesys
Westminster City Council in partnership with Veolia


Food Waste and Organics Initiative of the Year

Bio Collectors
Enva England & EKFB Joint Venture
FareShare and Hilton Foods
London Borough of Brent
MYGroup
Recorra; Murray & Yeatman
ReLondon and Islington Council
Somerset Council and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
Veolia, Watford Borough Council


Resource and Waste Management Partnership of the Year

Bywaters & 8 Bishopsgate
Cornwall Council, SUEZ, Biffa
Dauson Environmental Group, Wates Residential & Cemex
East London Waste Authority, Material Focus
Ecosurety
ESS and DVLA
Panda
Re‑Gen Ltd
Scrapp
Veolia UK & LGH Hotels Management Ltd


Independent Business of the Year

ASH Waste Services Ltd
Cellcycle
Clearpoint Recycling
GAP Group North East
Just Clear Limited
Plan B Management Solutions
Recorra
Sherbourne Recycling
Shred Station
SRC Group
Tec Hut Ltd
Waste Wide Limited
Westminster Waste Limited


AI or Technology of the Year

Access Group / Access Weighsoft
EverestLabs
Greyparrot
Max‑AI® Detection and Sorting Technology
Panda
Scrapp
Smiths Detection
SOLAR MATERIALS GmbH
SortFlow & Grundon Waste Management
TeknTrash Robotics


Energy from Waste Innovation / Achievement of the Year

Encyclis
Go4Greener Waste Management
Panda
Powerhouse Energy Group PLC
Synergie Environ Ltd
Waste Fuels and Recycling


Excellence in Environmental Impact

London Borough of Merton
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
MYGroup, Social Blister Pack Recycling
OCS GROUP
Ocado Retail
Shred Station
Spire Healthcare
Thanet District Council
The Berkeley & Emory – Circular Luxury Model
The Berkeley & Emory – ESG Transformation
Waterhaul


Social Value within a Community

Biffa
Cheshire West Recycling
Edinburgh City Council and Bartec Municipal Technologies
FCC Environment
Grundon
Imperial Polythene Products
MYGroup
P.P. O’Connor Enviro Ltd, part of the P.P. O’Connor Group
Thirteen
Veolia Brent


Packaging Innovation of the Year

Carl ZEISS Vision
Futamura UK
HeTa Innovation
Liverpool Football Club (LFC)
Ocado Retail


Best Newcomer of the Year

Binit Group Limited
Hayley Slack, Biffa
ISS Facilities Services and Anthesis
Isla Sutton, Veolia
Mark Garrett, Clearpoint Recycling
Nathan Lowrey, GAP Group North East Ltd
Spire Healthcare
TREST
The Chancery Rosewood
WasteFlow


Civic Amenity Site of the Year

Blackpool Waste Services (Enveco NW Environmental Services)
Lincolnshire County Council
London Borough of Harrow
London Borough of Merton
Plan B Management Solutions

 

Tickets for the ceremony are available now.
👉 Secure your place 
👉 View the shortlist online

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