Leeds City College Wins Recycling Project of the Year Award
5 February 2010 | archive
On 4 February, Leeds City College was awarded ‘Recycling Project of the Year’ at the Community & City Pride Awards hosted by Leeds City Council.
The award ceremony, held at the Leeds Civic Hall, included 12 community and environmental award categories. ‘The Big Dump’ campaign, a recycling project created and managed by the Marketing and Estates Departments at Leeds City College, was last night announced overall winner of the Recycling Project of the Year category.
‘The Big Dump’ campaign was an internal recycling campaign aimed at staff and students at Leeds City College, which ran throughout the Summer of 2009. The project involved the collection and recycling of old branded materials from the three former colleges (Leeds Thomas Danby, Park Lane College Leeds & Keighley, and Leeds College of Technology) following the Leeds City College merger on 1 April.
As a result of the campaign, over 5 tonnes of material was recycled resulting in zero landfill; marketing materials were distributed through Why Waste, Freecycle, Scrapstore and Leeds Paper Recycling. Banners were transformed into baby changing mats through a small sewing firm, and used on adventure playgrounds as lining; 100 sports kits made their way to Kenya after being donated to a Bradford-based charity who sponsor children living below the social and economic poverty line.
Martin Dickson, Head of Sales and Marketing, said:
“We’re thrilled that such innovative hard work was recognised through this award. The marketing and estates teams worked together closely to ensure that the campaign was both environmentally meaningful, but also fun as well! The project helped to bring together staff and students from across the new College, while doing something really valuable. Special thanks should go to Georgiana Weatherill – the college Environmental Officer – who made the idea of the campaign a reality. Well done to all staff and students who got involved.”
The Community & City Pride Award organisers also commented:
“FACT. This has to be one of the best submission names ever received – it did make us laugh a lot!”
The College beat off stiff competition from the South Leeds Alternative Trading Enterprise (which recycles furniture and diverts it from landfill, and provides work experience for people with learning difficulties) who were shortlisted in the same category.
Press Contact
Sarah Towns
PR & Communications Co-ordinator
Leeds City College Thomas Danby Campus
t: 0113 284 6411
e: sarah.towns@leedscitycollege.ac.uk