Peterborough City Council's Electrical Appliance Recycling Project (EARP) was awarded the prestigious Electrical and Electronic Recycler of the Year prize, and was shortlisted for the Best Partnership Project for Recycling at the National Recycling Awards 2008, at the Telford International Centre.

The scheme, which was set up in 2004, also won the Recycler of the Year award in 2006.

The project, a partnership between Peterborough City Council, Indesit and other organisations, aims to increase recycling of white goods across the city, to make sure that there is an affordable supply of fridges, washing machines and other appliances.

It also looks to reduce the amount of electrical items ending up in landfill sites, and has helped hundreds of people gain skills in recycling and repairing the items over the past four years.

If an appliance can be repaired or reused, then it is fixed and used again. Last year, St Teresa's Centre in Manor House Street needed a new washing machine, after its old one broke.

The scheme was able to provide a new machine to the centre, which provides support for homeless people across the city, saving more than £1,400.

If the appliances are beyond repair, they are stripped, and individual components separated for recycling and to make sure the waste is disposed of safely.

In the last year alone, more than 1,800 appliances have been donated by Indesit to families who need them, and 7,000 appliances have been picked up every month for use in the project.

The prestigious award was presented to the city council earlier this month, and today cabinet member for the environment councillor Wayne Fitzgerald said: "To win this award is fantastic news and a testament to how the people of Peterborough have embraced this initiative since its inception in November 2004.

"The partnership between the city council and Indesit has created a unique project that increases our recycling rates and helps boost the city's green credentials."

Re-work manager at Indesit Lee Cumberland said: "Indesit sees the commercial benefits of reworking and reusing returned products, and our partnership with Peterborough City Council has been recognised by beating off tough competition to secure the award.

"Together, we believe we are the largest and most successful re-use operation for large white goods in the UK."

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