The Meade Potato Company was named the 2016 Pakman Award winner at the second annual Pakman Awards. The award ceremony, which took place at the InterContinental Dublin Hotel, saw 400 representatives from leading businesses, organisations and community groups come together to recognise excellence in recycling, energy and waste management. Leading the congratulations was Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Mr. Denis Naughten:
The Pakman Award, which has replaced the Repak Member of the Year Award, seeks to recognise complete excellence in the environmental approach taken by a business, organisation or community group in all aspects of their operations. This year, Meade Potato demonstrated best in class practices across a number of green initiatives, including giving practical recycling advice through social media and their website, creating relationships with community food banks to ensure out of spec produce has a market and developing a successful zero food waste management plan.
Among the other winners were ReCreate Ireland, whose practice of providing accessible and affordable art materials and educational supplies in a sustainable way to disadvantaged areas earned them the Community Recycling Project of the Year Award. Aldi Ireland Limited was awarded the Battery Champion Award for their efforts in recycling 31,317kgs of waste batteries in 2015.
Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council picked up The Bring Centre of the Year Award for their efficiency in handling the 7,300 tonnes of waste delivered to them each year. Irish Lamp Recycling Co Ltd won the WEEE Champion Award for its continued dedication to serving their customers whilst employing best environmental practices.
RecycleIT was awarded the Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative Award for their work offering a free community recycling collection and drop service, while University College Cork was awarded the Business Recycling Champion of the Year Award.
Rehab Glassco was named Waste Collection Operator of the Year (Small) and Panda was named Waste Collection Operator of the Year (Large). Transdev Dublin Light Rail was awarded the Green Transport of the Year Award.
Allied Irish Bank won the Professional Services Award for their continued efforts in energy efficiency and waste management, and SMILE Resource Exchange took home the Waste Prevention Business Award.
Our 2016 winners
Pakman Award for 2016: Meade Potato
The Battery Champion Award: Aldi Ireland Limited
Sponsored by European Recycling Platform (ERP)
The Bring Centre of the Year Award: Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council
Sponsored by Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA)
Waste Collection Operator of the year (Small): Rehab Glassco
Sponsored by Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA)
The Community Recycling Project of the Year: ReCreate Ireland Sponsored by Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM)
The Food Waste Management Award: Meade Potato Company
Sponsored by Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment
The WEEE Champion Award: Irish Lamp Recycling Co Ltd
Sponsored by WEEE Ireland
The Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative Award: Recycle IT
Sponsored by Repak
The Business Recycling Champion of the Year Award: University College Cork
Sponsored by Repak
The Green Transport of the Year Award: Transdev Dublin Light Rail
Sponsored by AMCS
The Professional Services Award: Allied Irish Bank
Sponsored by Arthur Cox
The Waste Collection Operator of the Year (Large): Panda
Sponsored by Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA)
The Waste Prevention Business Award: SMILE Resource Exchange
Sponsored by Repak