We’re excited to share some brilliant news from the MRW National Recycling Awards 2025. On 25 November, First Mile took home two major awards, recognising our ongoing commitment to making recycling simple, accessible and genuinely impactful for businesses across the UK.
We were named Independent Operator of the Year for the second year running, and we also won the Recycling Excellence award for our long-standing partnership with ATG Entertainment. These awards celebrate industry leaders who are creating real environmental change, and we’re proud to be recognised for the work our team delivers every day.
Just two days later, on 27 November, we were also crowned B2B Business of the Year at the 2025 Growing Business Awards, a fantastic achievement that reflects the momentum and innovation across the business.
It was a brilliant night for the team and a proud moment that highlights the forward-thinking approach that keeps our customers, and our industry, moving towards a greener future.
Independent Operator of the Year 2025
Winning Independent Operator of the Year for the second consecutive year is a huge milestone for us. This award recognises independent waste and recycling providers that lead the way in innovation, reliable service and measurable sustainability results. These are values that guide everything we do at First Mile.
Over the past year, we’ve continued to invest in new technology, smarter operations and simple, effective ways for businesses to increase recycling and reduce their environmental impact. From improving route efficiency to expanding our recycling services, we’ve focused on making sustainable waste management easier for businesses of all sizes.
Being honoured again in 2025 is a powerful endorsement of the consistency, care and expertise our team delivers every day. It also celebrates the thousands of businesses who trust us to help them recycle more, waste less and move confidently towards their sustainability goals.
Recycling Excellence award
We were also thrilled to pick up the Recycling Excellence award for our work with ATG Entertainment. This award celebrates projects that deliver meaningful environmental results, and the judges recognised the progress we have made together in helping ATG’s London venues move towards virtually zero waste to landfill.
This win highlights the strength of our strategic partnership and the dedication of our account managers who work closely with our Enterprise clients. Their hands-on support, clear communication and focus on long-term impact play a vital part in helping organisations embed simple, effective recycling habits that make a real difference.
It’s a great reflection of what can happen when teams stay focused on long-term impact and keep things simple for the people on the ground.
B2B Business of the Year
To round off an outstanding week, First Mile was also named B2B Business of the Year at the 2025 Growing Business Awards. This award celebrates businesses that put customers first and keep raising the bar, and it felt brilliant to be recognised for the work we do every day with companies across the UK.
The judges praised the impact we deliver for our customers and the way our teams work together to make sustainability achievable for everyone. It was a proud moment for the whole business and a real boost to end an already exciting week of wins.
Recognising the strength of our partnerships
Alongside our wins, we were also shortlisted twice at the MRW National Recycling Awards for Commercial Partnership Excellence, reflecting the impact of our work with businesses such as GAIL’s Bakery and JPC by Samsic.
We’ll be diving into more detail about our partnerships in upcoming case studies, so stay tuned, but for now we’re proud to see our collaborative approach recognised at this year’s awards. These shortlists highlight the breadth of sectors we support and our commitment to building long-term partnerships that make recycling simple, effective and sustainable.
A memorable week for the First Mile team
The MRW National Recycling Awards are always a special moment in the year. They bring our industry together to celebrate progress and the people working hard to make a real difference. It was a joy to be there again and to come home with two awards we are incredibly proud of.
Just a couple of days later, we were delighted to be named Business of the Year at the Growing Business Awards. It closed the week on a high and underlined the collective effort that sits behind everything we achieve.
Thank you to everyone involved in both events, and to our amazing team and partners. Your effort, positivity and passion are what make these moments possible. Congratulations to all the other winners and finalists who continue to push sustainability and business forward.
