The National Recycling Awards last week recognised North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) and the National Community Wood Recycling Project (NCWRP) as leaders in waste minimisation and materials recycling.
NHDC (pictured above) won the waste minimisation award for its campaign to encourage the people of North Hertfordshire to reduce the amount of food they throw away. The food waste campaign featured a ‘food waste challenge’, live cookery demonstrations on what to do with leftovers, and a Christmas food waste competition. It also educated people about the amount of money food waste disposal costs them as council tax payers.
“We are extremely proud to have won this award”, said Councillor Peter Burt, the NHDC’s Portfolio Holder for Waste, Recycling and Environment. “I’d also like to thank all those people in North Hertfordshire who have been making efforts to cut the amount of food they put in their grey bins.
“We wanted to get some important messages about food waste across to people in an engaging and cost-effective way and it’s rewarding to see this being recognised with such a prestigious award.”
In the small and medium sized enterprises category, the Brighton-based NCWRP (pictured above) was named ‘Materials Recycler of the Year’ for its wood recycling work.
Through its National Builders Collection Scheme, the NCWRP has been responsible for keeping more than 7,000 tonnes of wood out of the waste stream since 2008. The project directly targets the recycling needs of the building industry by offering waste timber and wood collections, sorting and selling.
“The judges commented that this year competition was fierce, with the most entries ever received”, said Richard Mehmed, Managing Director of the NCWRP. “We are extremely proud of our member enterprises around the country whose hard work and professional service to customers has been recognised by this highly prestigious award. We would also like to thank our clients who have embraced a new way of dealing with wood waste which saves resources and creates work and training for disadvantaged people.”
The annual National Recycling Awards recognise the sustainability efforts of industry leaders in categories ranging from recycling to best innovative product and waste management.
Other winners on the night included Recolight, which took home the Business of the Year Award, and Resource Futures's CEO Jane Stephenson, who was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Further information can be found on the National Recycling Awards website.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.