In 2008, ISWA launched its inaugural Communication Award designed to yearly honour its members who demonstrate effective support for a waste communication project.

It is open to members – be it companies, associations or organisations – deemed to be particularly effective in supporting a waste communication project with communication.

The first awarding of the prize took place at ISWA’s Annual Congress held in Singapore, 3 - 6 November 2008.

The award was given to Professor Thomas Hojland Christensen and his team from WasteSweden for the article Experience with the Use of LCA-modelling (EASEWASTE) published in Waste Management and Research.

The paper is the final one in a series of four covering the development and use of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) tool that has been developed by Christensen and his colleagues to ensure increasingly comprehensive assessment of environmental and resource impacts of different waste management options. The model, which can identify the most environmentally sustainable solution for different waste compositions and varying geographical situations, has been used in several Danish municipalities.

The Winner of this year's Award, was Vienna’s Poop Scoop Success.

Vienna in common with other communities around the World had a problem with dogs fouling public streets, parks and other areas. Several previous attempts had failed, but in 2006, a mother of two toddlers secured 160,000 signatures on a petition. Thereafter, the City’s waste management authorities introduced a comprehensive and progressive information, education and enforcement effort to persuade dog owners to “pack [my] poop in a sack”. The sacks were provided by the city and extra doggie bins added in addition to the extra staff employed to impose on the spot fines and other sanctions.