Awards for council

In the fourth year that the County Council has been nominated, we are to receive four Green Apple Environment Awards, more than in any previous year. Previously, the County Council has plucked three awards in total. This year's awards are for:

campaigning to encourage home composting which means less organic waste goes to landfill

campaigning to promote 'real' nappies which can be reused rather than disposable nappies which are thrown away

working with Veolia Environmental Services to improve household waste recycling sites and increase recycling rates

working on waste management issues with our international partners, Smedar council in Rouen, northern France.

There will be a prize-giving ceremony on 3 November at the Tower of London where the overall winners will be revealed.

Notes to editors

The Green Apple Awards

The Green Apple Awards are part of an international campaign to find the greenest companies, councils, communities and countries. They are in their twelfth successful year, well established as the biggest and most extensive scheme of its kind in the country.

The campaign is run by The Green Organisation; an independent, non-political, non-activist, non-profit environmental group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world.

It is supported by the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management, Municipal Journal and various other professional bodies and organisations.

Veolia Environmental Services in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove

Veolia Environmental Services (formerly Onyx) has a 25 year contract for the delivery of an integrated waste management service across East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. Working in partnership with both East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council, it is committed to providing a sustainable approach to managing the area's household waste. Providing this service requires the operation, development and construction of a network of strategically placed facilities, designed to increase recycling, composting and recovery and to reduce dependence on scarce local landfill.

Under its contract Veolia Environmental Services is not responsible for the household collection of waste or recyclables. This remains the responsibility of Brighton & Hove City Council and the five District and Borough councils within East Sussex.

The Interreg Project

East Sussex County Council and Smedar, a local authority responsible for treating the waste of 160 parishes totalling 600 000 residents in the Rouen region, have been working together over the last year on joint project part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The project aims to identify some of the issues and problems created by the increasing volume of waste produced in both East Sussex and Rouen and to provide solutions that will lessen the impact on the environment.

For more information visit www.smedar.fr and www.interreg3.com