Repak is proud to launch the 2024 Pakman Awards, Ireland’s National Environment Awards. Celebrating a decade of excellence, these awards honour the best practices and achievements in recycling and waste management from businesses, organisations, community groups, and individuals across Ireland. Entries are open at pakmanawards.repak.ie and close on 31st August 2024.

Renowned as one of the most prestigious accolades in the environmental sector, the Pakman Awards honour the exceptional efforts of those dedicated to sustainability and environmental excellence.

This year sees the addition of two new categories including Best Deposit Return Initiative and Best Single Use Plastic Initiative, supporting the SUP Directive and recognising best in class business to consumer reuse systems.

Last year saw the introduction of the first individual Pakman Award, ESG Leader, which was won by Sian Young from Britvic for her individual contributions to recycling and waste management. The Overall Pakman Award was won by grassroots community project, The Killarney Park & The Ross, which helped promote Killarney to a circular economy by becoming the first town in Ireland to phase out single-use coffee cups.

Speaking on the launch of the 2024 Pakman Awards, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment, Communications and the Circular Economy, Ossian Smyth TD, said: “The Pakman Awards celebrate achievements from individuals, businesses and communities across Ireland in raising awareness of how we can contribute to a circular economy in Ireland. The Awards are pivotal in recognising and celebrating how those achievements are benefiting wider society with their hard work to transform how we manage our resources, and showcase the best practice recycling methods, paving the way for others to follow.”

Zoë Kavanagh, CEO of Repak, said: “This year marks a significant milestone for Repak as we launch the 10th annual Pakman Awards, introducing two new categories: Best Deposit Return Initiative Award and Best Single Use Plastic Initiative Award. The Best Single Use Plastic Initiative Award highlights efforts to reduce the impact of single-use plastics, while the Best Deposit Return Initiative Award celebrates the achievements from the initiatives implemented across the country since the launch of the scheme earlier this year.

“We invite all businesses, organisations, individuals and community groups to enter this year’s awards and share their progress in creating a more sustainable Ireland. Over the past decade, we have received thousands of applications from organisations dedicated to promoting best practices in recycling. Their achievements and innovative approaches have continually impressed us. We eagerly anticipate this year’s entries and look forward to showcasing the remarkable efforts of businesses, community groups, and individuals across the country.”

The 2024 Pakman Awards are open for entries now and close on 31st August 2024. More information can be found at Pakman Awards on Facebook and @PakmanAwards on LinkedIn and pakmanawards.repak.ie. Winners will be announced at this year’s award ceremony which takes place on 24th October 2024 at The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.