Bonner shortlisted for national award

Three Meath finalist have been shortlisted for the 2025 Repak Resource Awards.

Cllr Joe Bonner, who has been holding community recycling days for over 20 years, Meath Comogie and The Rubbish Film Festival have all been nominated for the newly named awards which replace the Pakman Awards.

The Repak Resource Awards celebrate Ireland’s leaders in waste prevention, reuse, circular design, and community-led environmental initiatives.

Cllr Joe Bonner from Ashbourne has been nominated for the Circular Community Award, which is sponsored by the Local Authorities of Ireland. For over 20 years, he has led Ashbourne’s Community Recycling Days, Ireland’s largest volunteer-run recycling initiative. These events have recycled over 2,800 tonnes of waste, curbed illegal dumping, and introduced services from WEEE and bulky waste collection to free compost and shredding. Joe now plans a “Green Village” sustainability day to further promote recycling and sustainable living.

Meath Camogie has been nominated for the Best Deposit Return Initiative Award, which is sponsored by Re-turn. ‘Your Plastic is Our Pitch’ is a county-wide campaign turning bottle and can returns into funds for a permanent home pitch. In just 18 months, it has become a community movement, promoting sustainability, cleaner environments, and pride across all ages while supporting the future of Meath Camogie.

Rubbish Film Festival has been nominated for the Environmental Education and Community Initiative Award, which is sponsored by the EPA. The Rubbish Film Festival engages Transition Year students in Meath, in climate action by creating one-minute films on recycling and sustainability.

This year, twelve winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Shelbourne Hotel on Thursday, 23 October 2025.

The Repak Resource Awards are regarded as one of the most prestigious accolades in the environmental sector, honouring those who lead in sustainability and environmental efforts, including grassroots initiatives, design innovations and cross-sector collaboration, which are becoming essential drivers of circular change.

Each category winner is eligible for the Overall Repak Resource Award, which celebrates outstanding achievements in recycling and waste management, innovation and grassroots environmental action.

Commenting on the announcement of the 2025 Repak Resource Awards finalists, Repak CEO, Zoe Kavanagh said: “We have received an unprecedented number of entries, and I am delighted to announce the category finalists for the 2025 Repak Resource Awards. By expanding the focus beyond traditional waste management, the Repak Resource Awards aim to capture the full spectrum of circular innovation happening in Meath and across the country."

The Repak Resource Awards recognise businesses, organisations, and community initiatives that demonstrate exceptional dedication not only to recycling and waste management, but also innovation in circular design, responsible resource use, and grassroots environmental action.