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Smile gets award for excellence

November 11th, 2017 11:50 AM

By Southern Star Team

Smile Resource Exchange, Macroom, winners of the Waste Prevention Business Award at the recent Pakman awards hosted by Repak Ireland. Pictured, from left: Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughton TD; Katherine Corkery, Michelle Green, Catherin Costello, Julie Crowle

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The team behind the Smile Resource Exchange, a programme run by Macroom E Enterprise Centre in Macroom, Co Cork was delighted to bring home the Waste Prevention Business of the Year Award at the recent Pakman Awards, hosted by Rep

THE team behind the Smile Resource Exchange, a programme run by Macroom E Enterprise Centre in Macroom, Co Cork was delighted to bring home the Waste Prevention Business of the Year Award at the recent Pakman Awards, hosted by Repak Ireland. 

The Pakman Awards seek to recognise complete excellence in the environmental approach taken by a business, organisation or community group in all aspects of their operations, from recycling and energy use to waste management. The awards ceremony took place at the InterContinental Dublin Hotel and under the watchful eye of MC Claire Byrne of RTE, saw 400 representatives from leading businesses, organisations and community groups come together to celebrate their positive impacts on our environment. 

Other winners include Raidió Teilifís Éireann, who took home the overall Pakman 2017 award, Thorntons Recycling, Clean Ireland Recycling, WasteMatters Ireland, Matthews Coach Hire Ltd., Sligo University Hospital, ReCreate, Recycle IT, Lidl Ireland GmbH, Galway City Council and LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hospice.  

Smile Resource Exchange is a national programme that connects businesses that can reuse each other’s waste, surplus materials and offcuts.  Established in 2010 by Macroom E Enterprise Centre, with the support of Cork County and City Councils, the Local Enterprise Offices and the Environmental Protection Agency, the programme now has over 1,500 business members nationally, over 500 successful synergies recorded to date, equating to an estimated 22,000 tonnes of material diverted from landfill or recycling and a combined cost saving for businesses of over €4.4 million.  

Smile is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency, Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Local Enterprise Offices, Southern Region Waste Management Office, Eastern Midlands Waste Management Office, Connacht Ulster Waste Management Office and South Dublin County Council. 

For further information see www.smileexchange.ie or email [email protected]  

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