Refuse collectors from Grist Environmental have been named the winners of the National Refuse Championships 2019.

The competition, which took place in Weston-super-Mare, saw hundreds of bin men and women from all across the UK raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society.

Overall, 26 teams competed in a series of gruelling races - repeatedly loading wheelie bins with bags of sand then pulling or pushing them, while running, to an awaiting refuse truck and emptying them before the vehicles raced to the finish line.

Teams who took part included Biffa Sussex, Grundon, Bristol Waste Company, Oxford Direct Services, Faun Zoeller, Smiths Waste Management, Cartwrights, Amey, Pirtek, Imperial Commercials, Cawleys, and Devon Contract Waste.

Grist Environmental, a waste management company from Devizes, Wiltshire, retained the title and remain the ‘fastest collection team in the UK’.

The company also donated the crowd barriers, security fencing, on-site toilets, waste management and litter picking for the event, which is in its third year.

Local team Biffa (Weston-super-Mare) also achieved the same position as last year coming in a close second and Warwick-based refuse vehicle manufacturer, Dennis Eagle came third.

The winning team were presented with a trophy and received £3,000 worth of Centre Parcs vouchers.  First place runners received £1,250 of Buy-A-Gift vouchers and second place runners up £1,000 of Buy-A-Gift vouchers.

Marcus Grist, events director at Grist Environmental and team captain/driver, said: “It was a great day and the sportsmanship between the teams was fantastic.

“In the final Biffa even insisted that 5 seconds were taken off our time to make up for a malfunctioning bin-lift on our refuse truck.

“Huge thanks to Spencer, Tracy and the team for all their hard work. The Alzheimer’s Society is a great charity and I hope we’ve done them proud again.”

Teams competed in a series of gruelling races

The races were officially opened by Cllr Richard Westwood, vice chairman, North Somerset Council and Vincent Dignam, business improvement and performance manager, City of London.

Spencer Law, founder of the NRC and managing director at Refuse Vehicle Solutions (RVS), said: “We are delighted with how the waste management industry and the people of Weston-super-Mare have embraced this event. It just gets better and better every year.

“We are still calculating how much has been raised for The Alzheimer’s Society but we hope it will meet or beat last year’s amount which was in excess of £20,000.

“Massive thanks to everyone who supported the event. We will be returning next year and plan to announce a date for the National Refuse Championships 2020 very soon.”

Teams from Biffa Sussex, Grundon, Bristol Waste Company, Oxford Direct Services, Faun Zoeller, Smiths Waste Management, Cartwrights, Amey, Pirtek, Imperial Commercials, Cawleys, and Devon Contract Waste were among the 26 to take part.

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