Geoff Wright MBE, a former head of environmental services at Leeds City Council, has passed away aged 80.
Mr Wright was known as a pioneer for kerbside municipal recycling in the 1980s and 90s at Leeds City Council, and worked as head of environmental services when it introduced one of the first schemes, the SORT recycling project.
He led on the introduction of a 4-way source separation scheme to 4,000 households in November 1990 using 2-split wheeled bins. Mr Wright also established a small materials recycling facility (MRF) and the operation of a trial scheme with 100 households, which showed that using people to recognize different material streams can be effective.
Ray Georgeson, chief executive of the Resource Association, said: “Geoff focused on the value of separate collection and engaging with householders and doing this at a time before statutory targets and the real mainstreaming of kerbside recycling collections.
“Geoff was the epitome of a committed public servant in local government.”
Ray Georgeson
Resource Association
“More than this, he was a real gentleman who nurtured young talent in his and other organisations. He was the epitome of a committed public servant in local government.”
Geoff Wright was also a trustee for the former not-for-profit consultancy group Save Waste and Prosper (SWAP), which ran a number of communications campaigns for the waste and recycling sector and also ran the MRF which Mr Wright established.
Chas Ball worked with Mr Wright at SWAP, and told letsrecycle.com that he demonstrated a real commitment to the recycling industry. Mr Ball said: “Geoff was a very easy going Yorkshireman with a wry sense of humour. He demonstrated a real commitment to raising the standards of waste management and worked effectively within the council and with the voluntary sector. He was proud of the leading role that Leeds had in the 1990s. The award of an MBE for recycling later in the 1990s was an acknowledgment of his pioneering role.”
The funeral takes place on 2 March at Lawnswood Crematorium, Leeds, and donations, if so desired, can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society.
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Source: letsrecycle.com General
