The second annual National Refuse Championships (NRC) Weston-super-Mare bin races raised over £20k for The Alzheimer’s Society.

Over 2,000 people gathered along the Beach Lawns on Saturday 16, to watch over 30 teams compete in a race against the clock.

The challenge consisted of loading wheelie bins with bags of sand then pulling or pushing them, whilst running, to an awaiting refuse truck and emptying them before the vehicles raced to the finish line.

Teams included: Biffa Municipal, Gullivers Truck Hire, Grundon, Simply Waste Solutions, Oxford Direct Services, Amey, Swansea Council, FCS, VWS, Pirtek, Imperial Commercials, Aberdeenshire Council, Cawleys, Viridor, Weir Waste, Hills Waste, WSR Recycling and Devon Contract Waste.

Grist Environmental, a waste management company based in Devizes, Wiltshire were crowned the National Refuse Champions 2018, with local team Biffa (Weston-super-Mare) coming second and Cartwrights Waste Disposal Services taking third place.

Each member of the winning team was presented with vouchers towards a Center Parcs holiday, second place team members received £250 worth of Buy-A-Gift Vouchers, and third place team members received £200 worth of Buy-A-Gift Vouchers.

NRC’s founder and managing director of Refuse Vehicle Solutions (RVS) Spencer Law said: “I’m overwhelmed with how well it went. The feedback has been so positive and it appears news travels fast as we’ve already had four enquiries from local authorities wishing to enter teams next year!

“We are definitely going ahead with the National Refuse Championships 2019 and will announce a date soon.

"I’d like to thank everyone who made the event such a success: staff, exhibitors, the teams, sponsors and supporting companies, and of course all those people who turned up to watch. There was a great atmosphere.”

Pictured: The Grist Environmental team with Cllr Jolley N Somerset Council and Norris the NRC Mascot Bear