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 significant impact. It will have addressed a challenge around waste or the waste hierarchy, such as increasing recycling, boosting reuse, reducing waste, improving materials quality, reducing contamination, increasing awareness or participation. This might be within the organisation concerned or in the wider community.

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 recognises an exemplar initiative that has made a systemic change 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 has proven that the business model works and can show buy-in and trade from along its supply chain. It will be an inspiration for others and show how a circular economy can work in practice.

Who should enter: ICT organisations or companies that have created digital systems in-house. 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: This award recognises successful and innovative digital systems that have demonstrably improved waste and recycling operations or interactions with those in the resource sector.

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 the right environment needed for the industry to thrive. This award recognises a specific training and skills initiative introduced by an employer in the waste/recycling/resources sector for which it can show a positive impact on its employees and measurable improvements.

Training and skills could include initiatives on mentoring, skills and career development, health and safety, modern day slavery, mental health and well-being. It will be an inspiring example for others in the sector to learn from.

Who should enter: Organisations involved in delivering services 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 as a resource and show the way forward for the rest of the industry.

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.

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.

Who should enter: Technology providers, equipment providers, vehicle manufacturers, etc, based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.

About the award: This award recognises the important role that equipment and vehicles plays in improving the processes, operations and environmental impact of resources, waste and recycling organisations.

The winning entry will demonstrate an innovation in equipment that can improve the sector and results in significant measurable improvements, such as improved efficiency, reduced waste, improved materials quality, improved recycling, reduced carbon impact, improved health and safety performance and so on.

It seeks to highlight novel concepts and ideas that challenge current norms.

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 whole new systems, to drive significant success in recycling, reuse or waste prevention performance and standards while offering the public value for money. These local authorities will be examples for others to learn from, showing leadership and fresh thinking.

Who should enter: Combinations of: waste management companies, recyclers, industry, businesses or compliance schemes. The entry must include at least two organisations, from different sectors. NB 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 the norm and 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.

Who should enter: Combinations of: UK or Republic of Ireland-based waste management companies, recyclers, industry, businesses, compliance schemes, local authorities, community sector, 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 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.

Who should enter: Any UK or Republic of Ireland-based organisation that has developed an innovative recycled product.

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.

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 exceptional performance and innovation. Businesses will need to prove how it diverts material away from landfill or energy recovery, moving up the waste hierarchy.

This category focuses on specific material streams. Those wishing to demonstrate the efficiency of their overall business models should consider entering the Circular Economy category. Councils looking to celebrate their improved recycling rates should consider entering the Local Authority Success category.

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.

Who should enter: Any resource and waste management employee, aged 35 or under, from a UK or Republic of Ireland-based organisation, who has driven substantial improvements across an organisation or the wider sector, demonstrated talent and drive. 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 young employees, aged 35 or under, 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.

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 specific project addressing a specific challenge, or an ongoing programme by a business operating in the waste management/reuse/recycling/reprocessing sector that brings measurable social value to its local community, wider society or a targeted group. It will result in positive impact on the community, such as creating and developing skills, opportunities and employment or improving local facilities and environments. It will be exemplar, inspire others and demonstrate how business can be a force for good.

Who should enter: Any team working within 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 waste/recycling sector in the UK or Republic of Ireland 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.