NI Environment Minister Mark H Durkan is today asking people to get involved in the European Week of Waste Reduction (EWWR) from 16 to 24 November.

EWWR is a project that aims to organise multiple actions during a single week, across Europe, to raise awareness of waste reduction and encourage change in our everyday behaviour. Whether it is reducing school packed lunch waste or training staff in zero waste, there are things families, businesses and individuals can do. The project is in its fifth year.

Minister Durkan said: "Sustaining our planet for future generations is a huge responsibility on all our shoulders. Less dumping waste, more re-using and recycling plays a key role in that. European Week for Waste Reduction provides an ideal opportunity for everyone to participate in and show how even the smallest measure can make a huge difference to reducing landfill. So I am making a rallying call for people to get involved.

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"The scheme will be running this year from 16 to 24 November. In 2012 Northern Ireland led the way with an impressive 543 waste reduction activities registered by businesses, schools, communities and individuals - an amazing 60% of the UK total.

"This week supports the good progress Northern Ireland has made in the last several years in reducing waste and increasing recycling."

The Minister launched the event as he visited City Hotel Derry, which won business category winner, one of the seven regional awards, last year for their imaginative waste reduction initiatives.

Linda Neill from City Hotel added: "The four star City Hotel is delighted to have been awarded the prestigious European Waste Reduction award in the business category last year. The award recognised the hotel’s outstanding efforts to reduce waste going to landfill from 150 tonnes in 2006 to 50 tonnes in 2012."

(CD/IT)