Celebrating excellence in waste, recycling and the circular economy

The MRW National Recycling Awards returns in 2026, continuing its proud legacy of recognising excellence, innovation, and achievement across the recycling and resource management sector.

This prestigious awards ceremony brings together individuals, organisations and project leaders at the heart of efforts to build more circular and efficient management of resources, while also working to reduce waste and rethinking consumption.

Following a landmark 2025 event that welcomed over 600 guests from across the industry, the awards remain the definitive benchmark for ‘doing things better’ with regards to sustainability.

For 2026, the event moves to an exciting new venue — the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London — offering a fresh setting befitting the scale, ambition, and continued growth of the awards. Join the industry’s most influential and innovative on 1 December 2026 as we celebrate another outstanding year of progress and achievement.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of celebration and entertainment, and share this unique experience with colleagues, clients and industry peers. Early bird table bookings are open until 18 September.

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Early bird ends on 18 September 2026

Attend the awards

Celebrate your achievements, reward your team and enjoy an evening of entertainment alongside colleagues, clients and industry leaders.

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Categories

There are 18 categories open for submission, ensuring there is a category for every project, regardless of its size, scale, or type.

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Become a sponsor

There are tailored packages available to suit all marketing aims and budgets.

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Why are the National Recycling Awards important to the industry?

The Awards serve as a benchmark for excellence in the waste and resources sector. They highlight and honour industry innovations, commitments and best practices, inspiring continuous improvement across the board. 

JUDGE: Ella Gorman, Communications (Campaign) Officer, Zero Waste Scotland

What does the evening mean to the industry?

Beyond the recognition of individual accomplishments, the evening is a powerful reminder of the industry's shared mission to drive sustainability and tackle environmental challenges collaboratively.

JUDGE: Ella Gorman, Communications (Campaign) Officer, Zero Waste Scotland

Why are the National Recycling Awards important to the industry?

It’s really important that we celebrate all the great work and successes across the sector. The entries span a huge range of activities and showcase the best of what we do. As an industry we should be proud of our role in driving a more circular economy and creating a better environment for all.

JUDGE: Jacob Hayler, Executive Director, Environmental Services Association

Why are the National Recycling Awards important to the industry?

The NRAs are the only awards that reflect the range of activities that make up our amazing and innovative sector. You are as likely to win if you are a small family-run company as a large multinational. They reflect the level of innovation and show the passion of people involved in the sector to drive change and make a difference. They also reflect and value the impact of the resources and waste sector in driving the move to a circular economy.

JUDGE: Margaret Bates, Executive Director, Defra

Why are the National Recycling Awards important to the industry?

It’s always important to find out who is doing the best things and making the most of them. Who is really making a difference to the way the whole industry works. The NRAs are the best way I’ve come across of getting to the bottom of that.

JUDGE: Phillip Ward, Chair, RSA Sustainability Network

What does this evening mean to the industry?

The awards ceremony is a big one in the industry calendar, possibly one of the biggest. There’s nothing like getting an award, is there, but also look at all the customers, all the patrons that are here. It’s an opportunity to share and enjoy everyone’s company.

JUDGE: Adam Read, Chief Sustainability Officer, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK

What does the National Recycling Awards mean to the industry?

It’s the highest accolade I think, it really shows success amongst our peers and that we are leading the way in Greater Manchester with reuse and repair. It’s really great to win this award and it’s a nice night out for everyone to come together and celebrate all our hard work for a lot of good causes and a lot of good initiatives.

WINNER: Local Authority Success - R4GM Community Fund, Greater Manchester Combined Authority

What does the National Recycling Awards mean to the industry?

They are THE most important industry awards, and because I think they cover local authorities, actual end user businesses and waste collectors – everyone’s got a chance to win something.

WINNER: Independent Operator of the Year – First Mile

What does the National Recycling Awards mean to the industry?

It’s very important to the industry. We are a small part of that industry and so it’s great to have events like this where we can all come together and encourage each other for this year and the next.

WINNER: Recycled Product of the Year - Reusable Steel, EMR Reusable Steels

Key Dates

Entry deadline
First round of judging
Shortlist notified
Shortlist announced to the industry
Second round of judging
Event date