Michael John Croxford MBE 25 July 1944 – 7 May 2016

Mike Croxford, the former head of Newport Wastesavers and recycling pioneer, died on Saturday, 7 May at the Royal Gwent Hospital. He suffered a fatal heart attack whilst recovering from a series of procedures carried out previously.

Mike was a large presence in every way, a natural leader who drew affection and loyalty to his efforts in equal measure. Tributes from friends and colleagues alike mention the loss of a gentleman, an enthusiast with a sharp-witted sense of humour – especially a memorable and explosive laugh. Those closer to him knew a well-read man who loved fine things and whose interests ranged from nerdish technology to literature and fine art.

Recycling History

Mike’s immense contribution to community recycling – indeed, to recycling in general – was gleaned from the ground up. In the ’80s, his conversion (with guidance from colleagues in the paper trade, notably Nick Francis of Clarfield Waste) of a youth project in Augusta Street, Cardiff into the Community Support Anti-Waste Scheme (CSAWS), saw battered Luton vans collect over 250 tonnes of material per month throughout the city. Mike learned the fundamentals – separation at source – in that practical project. He never stopped advocating that position in all the years that followed.

Mike created one of the very first city-wide domestic recycling collection schemes in the UK. In 1988, Cardiff was made the second Recycling City by Friends of the Earth. This was a major recognition and accolade from his environmental movement peers and it meant a lot to Mike.

He moved to Wastesavers in Newport in 1994, carrying the baton of what he had started and learned in Cardiff. He transformed Wastesavers into the most cost-effective model of domestic recycling collection in existence, a model that is cited as the model of best practice internationally.

His unstinting work in community recycling over many years was recognised in 2006 with an MBE and a trip to meet the Queen. He retired from Wastesavers in 2010, but remained connected to the work of the sector through his chairmanship of Cylch, the Welsh community recycling network body, another of his initiatives. That was created in 1997 and commenced work in 1998.

Mike’s vision was always clear and unambiguous. The change to recycling requires simply a change of habit where dealing with waste materials is concerned. So, talking to people and getting them to do the work of separation was a non-negotiable precursor if clean materials were to be collected. The trucks he designed had lots of compartments to demonstrably show respect for and to keep faith with the householders’ sorting efforts.

For Mike, the journey was as important as the destination and the medium was the message. He was decisive and at any one time was certain of the next move. This made him a natural leader.

Once he’d got that sorted, he looked to spread the word to wider audiences and to use his leadership skills to encourage more widespread adoption of recycling practices throughout the UK. He was an active member of the Community Recycling Network UK (CRNUK) and, as mentioned, was influential in setting up and leading Cylch as the Chair.

As a chair he was massively influential and inspiring to a number of bodies and organisations, including:

• CRNUK at least twice;
• Cylch for most of its existence; and
• Zero Waste organisations of various scope.

After his retirement, he focused on another of his great passions, books, and worked for a while helping to rescue Maindee Library from the draconian cuts inflicted by the city council.

Off the pitch, Mike was a private, family man. He guarded that privacy fiercely, not mixing business with family matters.

Mike will be sorely missed by recyclers and environmentalists in Wales and throughout the recycling world. His legacy is a clear and tangible one and we are all in his debt. So please raise a glass.

Mal Williams

Mike Croxford’s funeral will take place at Cardiff Crematorium, Thornhill Rd, Cardiff. CF14 9UA on Friday 27 May at 2.45pm. There will be a humanist order of service conducted by Richard Patterson.

There will be a gathering afterwards at Manor Parc Hotel, which is 200yds further north up Thornhill Rd from the crematorium, to which you are all also invited. It would be helpful for catering purposes if you would let me or Mike’s family know if you intend to be there, preferably by email or text message.

Mike and his family believe firmly that flowers are for the insects so request that any donations are made to one of Mike’s favourite charities: Amnesty International or The Maindee Library Trust.