Meade Potato Scoops 2016 Overall Pakman Award

• Meade Potato awarded the 2016 Pakman Award for its proactive sustainability efforts and efficient channeling of food streams to the appropriate markets
• Allied Irish Bank, Aldi, Rehab Glassco, Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, Panda, SMILE Resource Exchange, University College Cork and Recreate Ireland were also amongst the winners
• The Pakman Awards recognise outstanding work in recycling, energy and waste management by any business, organisation or community group.

Pakman Awards 2016 Winners List:

• Pakman Award for 2016, sponsored by REPAK: Meade Potato
• The Battery Champion Award, sponsored by WEEE: Aldi Ireland Limited
• The Bring Centre of the Year Award, sponsored by the Irish Waste Management Association: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council
• Waste Collection Operator of the Year (Small) Award, sponsored by the Irish Waste Management Association: Rehab Glassco
• Community Recycling Project of the Year Award, sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Waste Management: ReCreate Ireland
• Food Waste Management Award, sponsored by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Meade Potato Company
• WEEE Champion Award, sponsored by WEEE: Irish Lamp Recycling Co Ltd
• Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative Award, sponsored by REPAK: Recycle IT
• Business Recycling Champion of the Year Award, sponsored by REPAK: University College Cork
• Green Transport of the Year Award, sponsored by AMCS: Transdev Dublin Light Rail
• Professional Services Award, sponsored by Arthur Cox: Allied Irish Ban
• Waste Collection Operator of the Year (Large) Award, sponsored by the Irish Waste Management Association: Panda
• Waste Prevention Business Award, sponsored by REPAK: SMILE Resource Exchange

Dublin 27th October 2016: The Meade Potato Company was this evening named the winner of the 2016 Pakman Award, sponsored by REPAK, 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:

“I would like to congratulate not only the Meade Potato Company on their success this year but all finalists and category winners. I would like to thank Repak for developing the Pakman awards.  These awards are an example of organisations in the recycling and waste management industries coming together to highlight and reward best practice initiatives and excellence across a number of waste streams”.

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.

Commenting on the work done by Meade Potato was Seamus Clancy, CEO of Repak:

“Meade Potato’s award reflects both a business and a community focus in their innovation. Its relationships with local community food banks ensure that its Zero Food Management Plan not only delivers to a more sustainable environment, but also gives back to its community. Its social media strategy ensures that its customers can minimise any waste. This interconnected approach to managing food waste stood out during the stringent and rigorous judging process.”

“They have shown great leadership and advocacy in environmental sustainability. They deliver excellent waste management and recycling not only because it makes good business sense but also because it is the right thing to do. They contribute to the community and to society with a corporate and social responsibility programme that is exemplary. They are setting the standards for others to follow."

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, sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Waste Management. Aldi Ireland Limited was awarded the Battery Champion Award, sponsored by the European Recycling Platform, 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, sponsored by the Irish Waste Management Association, 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, sponsored by WEEE Ireland, for its continued dedication to serving their customers whilst employing best environmental practices.

RecycleIT was awarded the Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative Award, sponsored by REPAK, 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, sponsored by REPAK.

Rehab Glassco was named Waste Collection Operator of the Year (Small) and Panda was named Waste Collection Operator of the Year (Large). Both of these awards were sponsored by the Irish Waste Management Association. Transdev Dublin Light Rail was awarded the Green Transport of the Year Award, sponsored by AMCS.

Allied Irish Bank won the Professional Services Award, sponsored by Arthur Cox, for their continued efforts in energy efficiency and waste management, and SMILE Resource Exchange took home the Waste Prevention Business Award, which was sponsored by REPAK.