Winners of Wood Recycling Awards announced

Paul Melluish, who works for Devon company Wood Yew Waste, won the Site Manager of the Year Award for his truly professional and adaptable attitude which his company said had helped it to expand. The judges also highly commended the runner-up in this category, Gary Millson from Down to Earth Recycling, whose clear vision and determination helped the company increase its site to ten acres. The category was sponsored by Bell Equipment.

Other winners at the lunch-time awards ceremony at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull on Tuesday (November 1) included the Dorset Wood Reclaimed Wood Shop, which scooped the Best Partnership Award for its community wood recycling project in Poole involving a charity, local waste disposal authority and probation service.

Scottish firm DJ Laing Solutions recycled wood briquettes won the Energy Development of the Year category, sponsored by Environmental Control Systems. Hadfield Wood Recyclers won the Innovation in Wood Recycling category, sponsored by Blue Spares, for its investment in new baling plant which has allowed it to serve a wider range of markets, from bedding through to boiler feedstock.

And, Eco Sustainable Solutions of Dorset took home the Quality Product of the Year award, sponsored by the Environment Exchange, for its ComfyBed horse bedding, which is accredited by the Organic Farmers & Growers Association.

Theawards ceremony wasthe first tobe held by the Wood Recyclers Association and letsrecycle.com and were presented alongside a conference to mark the associations 10th anniversary. The event partner was the Blue Group.

Peter Butt, secretary of the Wood Recyclers’ Association, said: This was the first Awards luncheon for the Wood Recyclers Association.The quality of the applications was excellent, making the judges decision very difficult. Many congratulations to the winners, but also to those who came up just short this time. We will certainly be repeating the exercise in the future.

Steve Eminton, editor of letsrecycle.com and one of the award judges, said: We were very impressed with all the work which has gone into producing products which had strong market outlets. The sector seems to have a good understanding of what is needed.”

The full list of winners and runners up are:

Innovation in Wood Recycling sponsored by Blue Spares

Winner Hadfield Wood Recyclers

Hadfields invested 1 million in a new baling plant which meant it could offer a broader range of products and bale sizes such as poultry bedding for the consumer market and a biomass fuel for school boilers that burns three times more efficiently than virgin woodchip.

Quality Product of the Year sponsored by the Environment Exchange

Winner – Eco ComfyBed horse bedding fromEco Sustainable Solutions

Comfybed horse bedding, produced by Eco Sustainable Solutions, is rated highly by its customers for being virtually dust-free, economical and easier to muck out, as well as offering a supportive bedding for the horses. It also breaks down into a workable compost litter in as little as 12 weeks and is accredited by the Organic Farmers & Growers Association.

Runners up: Snowflake value cat litter produced by R Plevin & Sons Ltd; and, Top Trot produced by Marlin Industries

Energy Development of the Year sponsored by Environmental Control Systems

Winner DJ Laing Recycling Solutions

Over the last 12 months, DJ Laing Recycling Solutions in conjunction with Sawdust Wood Fuels (SWF) Scotland have developed a 100% recycled briquette which is suitable not only for open fires, but also wood burning stoves and produces little soot or ash build up. A wood flour is used to create dense briquettes which dont rupture in packaging.

Runner up Wood Yew Waste

Best Partnership Award sponsored by letsrecycle.com

Winner Dorset Reclaimed Wood Shop

Dorset reclaimed Wood Shop is a community wood recycling project based in Poole representing a unique partnership between the local waste disposal authority, local charity Dorset Reclaim and the probation service to save resources by re-using waste timber and creating a financially self-supporting, not-for-profit community business. The benefits of the this project include opportunities for offenders to gain skills and qualifications as well as experience working in a customer facing role and building relationships within the community.

Runners up DJ Laing Recycling Solutions with SWF Scotland; and, the Devon Waste Wood Partnership

Site Manager of the Year Award sponsored by Bell Machinery

Winner Paul Melluish from Wood Yew Waste

Paul Melluish was employed as a fitter worker for Wood Yew Waste in 2008 where the company says it was quickly apparent he was management material. Within a couple of months, the team increased from eight to 17 staff working seven days a week. Paul efficiently managed four site moves, ensuring the sites were operational as quickly as possible. His engineering knowledge has also influenced the construction of the companys state-of-the-art wood and plasterboard recycling centre in Exeter, which is now dealing with 1,000 tonnes of waste wood a week and 150 tonnes of plasterboard. His truly professional and adaptable attitude means that he will work over and beyond what is asked at him to make sure the company is working to its full potential.

Runner up Gary Millson from Down to Earth Recycling.