They say good things come in threes, and this certainly rings true for Panda, having secured three shortlistings at the Repak Resource Awards.
Formerly known as the Pakman Awards, this accolade recognises excellence in waste management, recycling, resource efficiency and sustainability initiatives across Ireland. Billed as “best-in-class achievements”, these categories are also a testament to Panda’s work in innovation and efficiency, recognising both the organisation and its initiatives developing practical solutions to reduce environmental impact and accelerate Ireland’s circular economy.
Here is more on what these categories were all about:
Environmental Education Initiative
SHORTLISTED: Credited to the Cleaner Bin Imaging Service (CBIS), this innovation embeds imaging and data capture directly into the vehicle collection process. Then, it uses what it detects during one bin lift to help reduce the chance of the same sorting mishap being repeated next time a vehicle lifts that same household bin. This way, instead of tackling contamination further downstream, Panda detects it earlier, traces it back to the correct household and feeds that information forward into the next collection
Following the wider rollout, recycling contamination reduced from 36% to 10%. In other words, this system is actively turning everyday bin lifts into waste education checkpoints.
A clearer picture of how CBIS works:
Take one ordinary Friday morning in South Dublin. The kettle is boiling. Toast is popping. A phone is buzzing somewhere on the counter. John Doe is trying to get out the door.
Beside him is the cardboard box from a delivery earlier in the week. Recycling… or general waste? John is not quite sure. It’s dry, clean and loose. John slightly recalls a social media post advising where this goes. After some guessing, he chooses to place it on his black bin. The lid closes. Now, normally, that would be the end of the story.
With CBIS, however, it is only the beginning. Later that morning, Panda’s collection truck arrives. The bin is lifted.
The camera clicks. And one small guess becomes useful information.
The image is then linked to John’s household through the bin’s RFID tag (same way as it would occur with an hotel keycard) and returned to the depot for review. There, the cardboard is identified as material that could have been recycled. And because an item that does not belong on the black bin has been found, CBIS turns that moment into personalised feedback: this is what we spotted, this is where it belongs, and here is helpful advise that can help you sort this item more confidently next time. That is CBIS in one collection.
A cardboard box that could have disappeared into general waste instead becomes the reason the next one stays in circulation.
Waste Recovery Operator and Facility Award
SHORLISTED: This shortlist recognizes how Panda is giving Ireland’s bottom ash a new route into the circular economy. What makes their Knockharley IBA Facility makes such a strong contender for the Best Waste Recovery Operator and Facility Award because it combines scale with the infrastructure needed to turn recovery into a reliable, repeatable process. Here, recovered metals can return as feedstock for smelting and recycling.
The mineral portion is conditioned and stored separately to retain its potential future use. Runoff water can be treated through reverse osmosis and redirected towards dust suppression. And domestic processing reduces reliance on sending the ash overseas for treatment. In simpler terms, this process engineers circular thinking into the whole flow. However, while Knockharley IBA facility may be one of Panda’s clearest examples of recovery infrastructure in action, it is far from working alone. And naturally, this brings us to our next shortlist…
Waste Recovery Operator and Facility Award
SHORLISTED: Testament to Panda’s continuous investment in cutting-edge-technology, Panda’s last (though not least) shortlist is based on its Millennium Park Facility. Here sits the largest recycling depot of its kind, capable of handling up to 5,500 tonnes of waste every week. That scale matters because the facility is designed to do far more than simply receive whatever arrives through its gates. It is to open those mixed loads back up, discover what is still inside them and recover material that might otherwise remain buried in general waste.
Because a black-bin load is rarely just one thing. At first glance, it may look mixed beyond recovery. Buried within it, however, can still be steel. Aluminium. Plastic film. Organic material. And fractions capable of being converted into recovered fuel. When Minister of State for Small Business and Retail & Circular Economy Alan Dillon joined Panda to open this new metals and plastics recovery system, this is what he had to say:
“I was pleased to hear about Panda’s plans for further significant investment to boost the circular economy over the next decade. It is vital that Ireland continues to improve recycling rates and investments such as these are essential to help us meet our national targets.”
Looking Ahead
At Panda, we see waste not as an endpoint, but as a resource with untapped potential. By continuing to invest and innovate, we are helping to build a cleaner, more efficient circular economy. One that delivers long-term value for society, the environment, and the generations to come.
If you’re ready to find a more environmentally friendly way to process your waste, we’re ready to help.
