5 October 2007, 07/331
Council shortlisted for national recycling
award
Excitement builds as the District Council
celebrates being shortlisted for the national 2007 Awards for
Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management, hosted by
letsrecycle.com.
As one of only three finalists for the category of 'Best Local
Authority Recycling Initiative', the Council has been recognised
for the recycling initiative operating throughout the Skelmersdale
new town area, which has resulted in participation rates soaring -
with some estates reaching up to 90% participation!
With Lancashire County Council and Westminster City Council both
vying for the title West Lancs will be up against stiff competition
when the winners are announced during a prestigious luncheon at the
Savoy Hotel, London, on 17 October.
Cllr David Westley, Portfolio Holder for Refuse and Recycling,
said: "Everyone in the district is doing a fantastic job of
reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill and ensuring
that as much material as possible is recycled. Historically the
recycling rates in Skelmersdale have been lower than the rest of
the district but with the introduction of the blue box recycling
system, collecting a wider range of materials, together with an
ongoing education programme, participation rates are now
soaring.
"Being shortlisted for this esteemed award is fantastic news. It
really recognises our teams hard work - most importantly though, it
also recognises the effort that has been put in by local residents.
Well done everybody!"
Chairman of the panel of judges, Chris Davey, Manager of Local
Authority Relations for the Waste & Resources Action Programme,
said: "Judging this year was, unbelievably, even harder than in
previous years. I was very impressed by the number of entries and
by the number of local solutions that had been found which resulted
in increased recycling collections and improvements in the amount
of material going back into beneficial use.
"It is clear that great progress is being made in all sectors in
improving collections for recycling and composting and that the
nation's reputation for innovation and service continues to ensure
that recycling will play an even greater role in the way that we
manage our waste in future."
For more information about the Awards visit the Let's Recycle website.
Further information about the Council's refuse and recycling
collections can be found in the Refuse and Recycling section.
About the awards
The Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management are run
by letsrecycle.com and supported by the likes of Defra, the
Environment Agency and the Environmental Services
Association.
The Awards celebrate the success and dedication of all levels of
the recycling and waste managements chain from Best Collection Crew
to Commercial and High Street Champions.
More than 200 entries were received in nine categories this year
celebrating the efforts and innovation across the local authority,
retail and business sectors.
The best Community Recycling Initiative Award will recognise the
achievements of a social enterprise/community recycling project to
delivering improved recycling and waste management services and can
include projects such as re-use, recycling, composting, education,
minimisation and associated activities. The entry can involve a
partnership with a local authority or the private sector but the
social enterprise/community sector activity must represent at least
25% of the activity. The judges will be looking for the commitment
shown by the social enterprise or community group and at the
achievements made.
Related information
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