The Pakman Awards return to recognise those showing true excellence in recycling and waste management among people, businesses, organisations and communities in Ireland. This year, recycling's most glamorous night will take place on Thursday 26th October at The Shelbourne Hotel in the heart of Dublin’s city centre, and the all-important 2023 nominee shortlist has just been revealed.
With entries now closed, hopeful applicants have submitted detailed examples of their waste management efforts, which are separated into specific categories including 'Innovation In Waste Resource’, ‘Waste Recovery Operator’, ‘Environmental Education & Awareness Initiative’, ‘Waste Recycling and Recovery Facility’ and more. This year also sees the inclusion of a brand new category, ‘ESG Leader’, the winner of which will be an individual leader from one of Repak’s 3,400 Member businesses. An accolade that celebrates one person who is excelling under Environment, Social and Governance.
Last year, the awards ceremony took place at The Marker Hotel in Dublin. It was Limerick Polymers Production who took the top spot on the night, winning the ‘Overall Pakman Award’ for its substantial contribution to Ireland reaching its EU-set recycling targets. The LPP site is Ireland’s first purpose-built Plastic Recovery Facility, and is the single largest investment in recycling infrastructure in the history of the state - coming in at a staggering €18 million to build. The plant itself is fully automated and is capable of annually processing over 70,000 tons of mixed plastic packaging. As a direct result of the LPP facility, there was a 53% increase in the amount of mixed plastic film recycled in Ireland last year, which is expected to increase over the coming years as LPP continues to expand. It also won the ‘Waste Recycling and Recovery Facility’ on the night.
Another deserving 2022 winner was CJ Sheeran Limited, which won the ‘Business Recycling Champion’. With locations in Laois, Dublin and Mayo, Ireland’s largest supplier of its kind produces a broad range of both standard and specialised wood packaging and pallet modules including cases, crates, boxes, frames and skids. It also recovers over an impressive three million used pallets each year. CJ Sheeran Limited adopts high standards of green procurement and only purchases raw timber from Forest Stewardship Council-approved suppliers, which ensures that forests are managed sustainably.
A ‘Gold Plastic Pledge Award’ went to Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard last year. Its circular approach to waste management aims to minimise waste at every stage of its processes by designing, producing and distributing products in ways that optimise and help preserve natural resources. The five Rs (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Respect) are now embedded in its approach to developing packaging and point of sale material. A key ambition of Pernod Ricard’s is to have all of its packaging fully recyclable, compostable, reusable or bio-sourced by 2025, a move that demonstrates a real commitment to becoming wholly environmentally-conscious in its endeavours.
Other winners at last year’s Pakman Awards ceremony included Relove Paint, which received the ‘Community Recycling Initiative’, Currys Ireland was awarded the ‘Battery and WEEE Recycling Champion’, The Eastern-Midlands Regional Waste Management Plan Office won the ‘Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative’ for its ‘Composting for Schools Programme’ pilot, Continental Tyre Group was awarded the ‘Tyre Champion’, and Palm Free (Zero Waste) Irish Soap Ltd won the ‘Waste Prevention Award’.
The 2023 awards look set to be even more competitive as another crop of Irish organisations battle it out to prove their commitment to recycling and waste management.
The shortlist has just been announced for this year’s nominees:
Battery and WEEE Champion - Sponsored by WEEE Ireland
- Aldi Ireland
- Refurbed
- Signify Ireland
Business Recycling Champion - Sponsored by European Recycling Platform
- Swords Pavilions
- The Killarney Park & The Ross
- DAA
Community Recycling Initiative - Sponsored by the Department for Environment, Climate and Communications
- Recycle IT
- The Killarney Park & The Ross
- The Positive Ability Network
Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative - Sponsored by Environmental Protection Agency
- The Killarney Park & The Ross
- The Carbon Club
- Regional Waste Planning Office
ESG Leader – Sponsored by Producer Register Limited
Innovation in Waste Resource Products or Services - Sponsored by Enviroguide Consulting
- Harp Renewables
- The Killarney Park & The Ross
- Enrich
Plastic Pledge Award - Sponsored by Repak
- Lidl Ireland
- Aldi Ireland
- Coca Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland
Tyre Champion - Sponsored by Circol ELT
- Sean McManus Tyres
- Tyre World
- Kevin O' Leary
Waste Prevention Award - Sponsored by CEWEP
- Aldi Ireland
- Refillz Zero Waste
- Primark
Waste Recovery Operator - Household and Commercial - Sponsored by the Irish Waste Management Association
- Bord na Móna Recycling
- Thorntons Recycling
- Panda
Waste Recycling and Recovery Facility - Sponsored by AMCS
- Limerick Polymers Production
- Glanway Limited
- Enva
This year’s proud sponsors include AMCS, CEWEP, Circol ELT, The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Enviroguide Consulting, European Recycling Platform, The Environmental Protection Agency, The Irish Waste Management Association, Producer Register Limited, European Recycling Platform, and WEEE Ireland. Speaking about the awards, Leo Donovan from WEEE Ireland said,
"Supporting the Pakman Awards is a wonderful way to celebrate excellence in the management of waste and resources in Ireland to showcase the positive initiatives across the industry".
The 2023 Pakman Awards take place on 26th October, where the efforts of Ireland’s most accomplished leaders in recycling and waste management will be recognised. Good luck to all shortlisted nominees.
Learn more at pakman.ie.
