The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Ruairí McHugh, has praised the Council's Waste, Recycling, Events, and Marketing teams after they won the Local Authority Circular Economy Innovation Award for Sustainability at this year’s APSE Awards.

The accolade was awarded for the Council’s initiatives at Derry Halloween 2024, with Council teams also shortlisted as finalists in the Innovation in Behaviour Change category for their Beyond Blue Sustainability theme at the 2024 Foyle Maritime Festival.

The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) 2025 Waste, Recycling and Circular Economy Innovation Awards took place this week in Nottingham. Derry City and Strabane District Council was the only Northern Ireland council shortlisted among entries from across the UK. Shortlisted teams presented their initiatives to the judges at the awards seminar, with Sustainability at Derry Halloween ultimately taking the top prize in its category.

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Council representatives highlighted key initiatives behind the win, including the Halloween Costume Swap and dedicated recycling stations at the event. They also showcased the circular journey of waste, explaining how compost made from brown bin waste across the district is used to grow pumpkins at Acorn Farm for Halloween, which will later return to brown bins and be reused in compost for future projects.

Mayor McHugh said: "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.

"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."