Prestigious waste award goes to Derry and Strabane Council teams

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council has praised the Council’s Waste, Recycling, Events and Marketing teams after they scooped a prestigious award at this year’s APSE Awards.

Mayor Ruairí McHugh congratulated the teams behind Derry Halloween as they won the Local Authority Circular Economy Innovation Award for Sustainability at the 2024 festival. Council teams were also finalists in the Innovation in Behaviour Change category for their Beyond Blue Sustainability theme at the 2024 Foyle Maritime Festival.

The APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) 2025 Waste, Recycling and Circular Economy Innovation Awards took place this week, with Derry City and Strabane District Council being the only Northern Ireland council shortlisted, among applications received from across the UK.

The shortlisted teams were invited to the Awards seminar in Nottingham, where they gave a further presentation to the judges — with Sustainability at Derry Halloween ultimately winning in their category.

In securing the award, Council representatives highlighted the research and impact behind initiatives such as the Halloween Costume Swap and the dedicated recycling stations at the event. They also showcased how compost made from brown bin waste gathered across the Derry and Strabane District area has been used to grow pumpkins at Acorn Farm, which were recently harvested for the upcoming Halloween celebrations. Demonstrating the full circular journey of waste, officials explained that these pumpkins will return to brown bins after the event and be reused in compost for future projects.

Mayor McHugh said he was delighted to see the hard-working and dedicated teams gaining the recognition they deserve.

“This is fantastic news for our Council, and we are very proud of our teams – their continued commitment and passion for their roles is unwavering. As a Council, we are very proactive when it comes to our waste and recycling efforts and are constantly working towards creating a more circular economy here in Derry and Strabane, so to be recognised at this level is very much appreciated.

“To see the impact of initiatives such as the Halloween Costume Swap and the composting scheme is incredible, and it’s having a ripple effect across our communities. We’ve seen lots of schools and community groups hosting their own costume swaps and recycling projects, which is great to see as it gives costumes a second lease of life, encourages swapping rather than binning, and helps reduce what ends up in landfill.

IN PICTURES: Mayor honors Yazmin Doherty for her work with Derry Toy Appeal

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Ruairí McHugh, hosted a civic reception in her honour

Derry takes global spotlight in Tourism Ireland's 'Home of Halloween' campaign

Tourism Ireland’s ‘Home of Halloween’ campaign inspires autumn travel across 12 key overseas markets

“We’re known for our festivals here in Derry, and we take our waste, recycling, and sustainability efforts at major events very seriously. From our staff on the ground to the teams working behind the scenes, there’s a huge amount of hard work, research, and innovation that goes on – and we were delighted to showcase this at the APSE Awards.”

APSE Principal Advisors, Abi Ademiluyi and Bonni Jee, said: “Derry City & Strabane District Council’s submission showed a truly collaborative approach to embedding sustainability into all aspects of Derry Halloween 2024, fully embracing the Circular Economy from start to finish of the event. They demonstrated a truly holistic approach, setting a real example that can be applied to other events and festivals all year round and nationwide.”

Mo Baines, APSE Chief Executive, also said: “We are thrilled to recognise the hard work done by councils to meet the challenges of the waste sector head-on. The winners reflect the wide breadth of innovative projects being carried out and demonstrate an outstanding commitment to delivering public services. Congratulations to all our winners and finalists, we are truly grateful for your dedication in advancing the cause of greening our communities with better waste and recycling and the circular economy.”

The awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of local authorities in developing innovative ideas and solutions to tackle the challenges facing the waste and recycling sector, while showcasing their expertise and the results they have achieved.

APSE is a not-for-profit unincorporated association working with over 300 councils throughout the UK, promoting excellence in public services.