DEVON'S super recyclers have been celebrated in the Recycle Devon Thank You Awards - including Proper Job Recycling Centre in Chagford and a teacher at Okehampton Primary School.

In the second year of the awards, Emma Goodwin was nominated the runner-up in the school recycling hero adult category, while the staff at Proper Job Recycling Centre and Shop in Chagford were nominated as runner-up in the recycling centre operative or site staff category.

Emma scooped her prize for her key involvement in the Keep Okehampton Tidy litter pick events. The idea of uniting the town's organisations and voluntary groups to do a big litter clear up was formed after pupils of Kes Tor Class wrote individual letters to town mayor Cllr Rev Mike Davies about the overuse of plastic shopping bags and the state of littering in the town. The anti-plastic bag campaign saw children make posters, some of which were displayed in Okehampton's Waitrose store.

After the mayor visited the school and talked the idea through with pupils and staff, the litter picking event was created. There have been two successful Keep Okehampton Tidy days so far, and most of the litter collected on these days was then recycled.

The staff at Proper Job were commended for their friendly, welcoming and helpful attitude at the centre and shop and also for running a well-organised and helpful centre.

Proper Job is a community reuse and recycling centre that takes good, clean recyclable materials or items which can be reused or composted. It is a place to find the things that other recycling centre often cannot keep to re-sell, like bits of wood, paint and soft furnishings.

In 1993, a group of allotment holders launched a community composting project in Chagford. Wanting to recycle green waste and create a recycling facility for other items, the group initially focused on the rural skip service, salvaging green waste that could be re-used.

Proper Job Ltd was established in 1995, describing itself as a community business committed to the principles of sustainability and helping to create jobs. They now employ eight people on a full or part-time basis.

Devon enjoys a recycling rate of 55%, making it one of the best ranked recycling counties in the country.

Chairman of the Devon authorities waste reduction and recycling committee, Councillor Mel Lucas, said: 'The Recycling Thank You awards were created to recognise the unsung recycling heroes across the county. We are always amazed by the diversity of people who get on board with our recycling messages, from a broad spectrum of age, area and groups.

'We wanted to say a special thank you for everything that they do to ensure that Devon does not go to waste. They have not let us down and we have been truly amazed at the enthusiasm and unselfish efforts that all our winners go to reduce, reuse and recycle.

'On behalf of the Devon authorities waste reduction and recycling committee and personally, I would like to say thank you to you all. You are all winners.'