Categories
Campaign of the Year
Who should enter : Any UK or Republic of Ireland-based public sector, voluntary, charity, private or commercial organisation.
About the award : The winner of this award will show how to run an effective campaign, of any size or budget, that has resulted in a demonstrable impact on delivering more effective or sustainable services for clients or the public. Judges are looking for initiatives or communication programmes that address a specific challenge around waste or the waste hierarchy. This might include increasing recycling, boosting reuse or reducing waste, as well as improving the quality of collected materials, reducing contamination, or even increasing awareness of good practice in the supply chain. This might be within the organisation concerned or in the wider community.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Circular Economy Initiative
Who should enter : Any UK or Republic of Ireland-based organisation. This can include businesses, construction firms, retailers, manufacturers, higher education establishments, government departments and so on.
About the award : This award seeks to recognise initiatives or a project that can demonstrate successful work to embed the circular economy principles of designing out waste, keeping products and materials in use at their highest value, and regenerating natural systems.
It must demonstrate how materials can better be fully reutilised without being lost in supply chains. Judges are looking for examples to show that circular business models can work, while demonstrating buy-in and trade from along a supply chain.
This could include projects that can inspire and show how a circular economy can function effectively in practice. Please consider whether your entry would be better suited to the Packaging Circular Economy Award. If your entry is about boosting recycling rates for a material stream, please consider entering the Recycling Excellence award.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Digital Innovation
Who should enter : ICT organisations or companies operating in the UK or the Republic of Ireland that have created digital systems in-house or via a partnership to improve the way waste is managed, recycled or prevented. This could include systems to improve an organisation’s efficiency, such as waste tracking or fleet management, or customer-facing systems including apps.
About the award : The sector is often at the forefront of new technology, including the development and intelligent adoption of AI tools. This award recognises successful and innovative digital systems that have demonstrably improved waste and recycling operations or interactions with those working across the resource sector.
This is primarily for software development. Entries looking to celebrate advances in physical technologies or systems should consider the Innovation in Recycling Equipment and Vehicles category. Where a system integrates both software and hardware, we will consider which category might be best or enter into both categories if clear innovation in both areas is shown.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Excellence in Employee Training and Skills Development
Who should enter : Any organisation in the waste/recycling/resources sector based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
About the award : Investing in the sector’s workforce is crucial to developing the skills and expertise needed for the industry to thrive. This award recognises training and skills initiatives, introduced by an employer, that can show a positive impact on employees and an organisation’s ability to attract or support a capable and confident workforce.
Judges are seeking training and skills projects that can include apprenticeships, mentoring work or skills and career development programmes. The award can also recognise new approaches to ensure good practice in addressing health and safety, modern day slavery, mental health, wellbeing and equality, diversity and inclusion. It will be an inspiring example for others in the sector to learn from.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Food Waste Initiative
Who should enter : Any organisation of any size involved with food waste that has operations in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
About the award : This category will reward organisations that have shown significant measurable success in tackling food waste. This could be through prevention, reduction, reuse and/or recycling. The award seeks innovative and novel initiatives that will inspire others.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Independent Operator of the Year
Who should enter : Any independent UK or Republic of Ireland-based organisation whose main business is to process, collect or sort materials for recycling, reuse or energy recovery. ‘Independent’ here means the entries are not part of larger or publicly quoted businesses.
About the award : This recognises a business that has set out to be the best, shown exceptional customer service, market innovation, growth and high performance. They will clearly demonstrate how they are helping improve resource management. The winner will show a practical awareness of its role in driving resource management up the waste hierarchy.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Innovation in Recycling Equipment and Vehicle Design
Who should enter : Technology providers, equipment providers, vehicle manufacturers, and so on, based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
About the award : This award recognises the important role of developments in equipment and vehicle design for improving the processes, operations and environmental impact of resources, waste and recycling organisations.
The winning entry will demonstrate equipment innovation that can improve the sector and result in significant measurable improvements, such as enhanced efficiency, reduced waste levels or higher quality materials supply. Judges are also looking for examples of systems that can improve recycling rates, reduced the carbon impact of a project or better uphold health and safety performance.
It seeks to highlight novel concepts and ideas that challenge current norms.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Local Authority Success
Who should enter : Local authorities based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
About the award : This award recognises local authorities that have effectively put in place a project or system to drive significant success in recycling, reuse or waste prevention performance and standards, while offering the public value for money. The authority should offer effective case studies for others to learn from, showing leadership and fresh thinking.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Packaging Circular Economy Award
Who should enter : Packaging designers, brands, retailers, councils, waste management companies, recyclers, reprocessors and anyone else manufacturing or handling packaging in the value chain. Partnership applications are welcomed involving multiple sectors where there may be a lead applicant.
About the award : Now in its second year, this award, backed by the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN), celebrates innovations and successes within the packaging value chain that deliver circular economy results at scale and with longevity built-in.
Applications must, at the least, be focused on packaging. That can include how packaging relates to protecting products inside the packaging such as waste prevention. Applicants must sufficiently detail circular economy results that are demonstrable, appropriately evaluated at scale and have longevity. This means innovations must already be delivering great circular economy results with the potential for further development.
The basis for the circular economy is as defined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and their globally recognised circular economy diagram.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Partnership Excellence – Commercial
Who should enter : Open to an effective collaboration that can include waste management companies, recyclers, industry, businesses or compliance schemes. The entry must include at least two organisations, from different sectors. Partnerships including the public, not-for-profit or charitable sectors should enter Partnership Excellence – Public/Private Sector.
About the award : This category recognises true partnerships and innovative working that goes beyond standard contractual arrangements and good practice to manage waste and resources sustainably and effectively. It seeks to highlight creative ideas and new ways of working that can inspire others in the sector. Incorporation of the waste hierarchy, waste minimisation, designing out waste, closed-loop processes, reuse and high recycling rates will be recognised.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Partnership Excellence – Public/Private sector
Who should enter : Project collaborations between a combination of UK or Republic of Ireland-based waste management companies, recyclers, industry, businesses, compliance schemes, local authorities, community sector bodies or charities. The entry must include at least two organisations, with one partner from the private sector and one partner from the public or not-for-profit or charitable sectors.
NB partnerships not including the public, not-for-profit or charitable sectors should enter Partnership Excellence – Commercial category.
About the award : This category recognises true partnerships and innovative working that goes beyond the norm and standard contractual arrangements and accepted good practice to manage waste and resources sustainably and effectively. It seeks to highlight creative ideas and new ways of working that can inspire others in the sector. Incorporation of the waste hierarchy, waste minimisation, designing out waste, closed-loop processes, reuse and high recycling rates will be recognised.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Social Value Award
Who should enter : Any business operating in the waste management, reuse, recycling and reprocessing sector in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
About the award : This award recognises either a project addressing a specific challenge or an ongoing programme by a business operating in the waste management/reuse/recycling sector.
Judges are looking for examples of projects that bring measurable social value to a local community, wider society or a targeted group. Entries should result in positive impact on a community, such as creating and developing skills, opportunities and employment or improving local facilities and the environment. It should also have the potential to inspire others and demonstrate how business can be a force for good.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Recycled Product of the Year
Who should enter : Any UK or Republic of Ireland-based organisation that has developed an innovative recycled product. This could be a product on general sale to the public or developed for the B2B market.
About the award : This category recognises a product that exemplifies the best of sustainability. It will have been designed with careful consideration of resources and incorporate recycled content. Factors such as reusability, end of life, waste minimisation, closed loop processes and so on will have been considered in its design. *Note: please consider whether your entry would be better suited to the Packaging Circular Economy award.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Recycling Excellence
Who should enter : Any business operating in any sector (eg retail, construction, manufacturing), based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
About the award : This award recognises initiatives by businesses that can demonstrate improved recycling rates and resource efficiency, shown through factors such as exceptional performance and or an embrace of innovative practices. Businesses will need to prove how they divert material away from landfill or energy recovery, moving up the waste hierarchy.
This category focuses on specific material streams and processes. Those wishing to demonstrate the efficiency of their overall business models should consider entering the Circular Economy category. Those looking to enter a specific product should consider the Recycled Product of the Year category. Councils looking to celebrate their improved recycling rates should consider entering the Local Authority Success category.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Recycling Facility of the Year
Who should enter : Any waste and/or recycling facility registered in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
About the award : This award recognises a waste and/or recycling facility that demonstrates exemplary operation through innovation and/or improved management. It will be a facility that has challenged itself to be the best and can inspire others by the standards it has set. All types and sizes of facilities are welcomed. Please note this award is for one facility only.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Team of the Year
Who should enter : A team working in any type of organisation within the waste and recycling sector in the UK or Republic of Ireland. The definition of a team in this context will be employees from one organisation working in unison towards the same goal, on a specified project/initiative.
About the award : People are at the heart of delivering the products, processes and services needed to deliver high performance in waste and resource management. This award recognises the people in the sector that embody teamwork and from which others can learn and be inspired. The team will demonstrate the qualities, attitude and approach needed for success on a project.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
The NRAs' One to Watch
Who should enter: Formerly known as our Rising Star Award, the One to Watch prize is a chance to recognise a resource and waste management employee from a UK or Republic of Ireland-based organisation, who has made a notable impact through their work to an organisation or the wider sector. In their respective field, the winner will demonstrate clear talent, passion and drive - either in their training, or through initiatives they have led or are working on. The entry can be completed by the employee or on their behalf by peers or employers who would like to nominate them.
About the award : This award recognises employees in the waste and recycling sector who have shown talent, drive, exceptional performance, enthusiasm and fresh thinking in improving performance or standards within an organisation or the wider industry. They are positive ambassadors for the industry and may be an apprentice, trainee or staff member of any seniority that has stood out in the quality of service they offer or in how they balance a range of responsibilities with their duties.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025
Waste Management Energy Innovation
Who should enter : Organisations involved in delivering services or products in the UK or Republic of Ireland such as: energy-from-waste, waste-to-fuel technology, chemical recycling, anaerobic digestion, landfill gas and carbon capture and storage.
About the award : To recognise the contribution the sector makes to the UK’s energy mix and to highlight the creativity and innovative technology involved in turning waste into energy and fuel. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate a new way of thinking about how to use waste or wider waste infrastructure as a resource. The winner will show the way forward for the rest of the industry and the potential for partnering with other sectors.
Qualifying period: 1 January 2024 – 27 June 2025