This year’s Britain in Bloom awards saw a familiar champion in the contest for the United Kingdom’s greenest large city. Croydon narrowly beat out Edinburgh for the title, which was chosen by the Royal Horticultural Society. The contest aims not only to reward communities and local authorities for recycling and waste management projects, but also for the overall beauty of the city. The judges also look for cities that have local businesses which are involved in recycling and reusing schemes.
The judges remarked that they were impressed with the entire city of Croydon and specifically noted the quality of their outdoor sports areas, and the Coombe Wood Gardens, which they said were particularly beautiful. The resource management schemes in Croydon also impressed the judges, who said Croydon had an exceptional number of recycling centers.
Local businesses were heavily involved in the efforts in Croydon who worked hand in hand with the Croydon Economic Development Company to ensure that the town looked particularly clean and beautiful on the day of the contest. This is the third year in a row that Croydon has taken the award, which focuses on cities which are over two hundred thousand in population.
The UK has come under fire in recent weeks for its failure to reach some of the recycling and waste management goals outlined by the European Union. The EU outlined specific plans for each of its member countries to reduce landfills by half over the next three years. Some within the UK are concerned that they will be nowhere near these goals. Industry leaders believe contests like Britain in Bloom will help the UK reach its goals by offering incentive to communities.
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