Denis the Dustcart honoured with commendation from former Lord Mayor

Published: 19 May 2022

Denis the Dustcart, Exeter City Council’s popular online recycling and sustainability champion, has been honoured with a Lord Mayor’s Commendation.

The honour is in recognition for education around issues and initiatives to address climate change and engaging Exeter residents successfully through his Facebook page.

The Past Lord Mayor Cllr Trish Oliver, who completed her year on office this week, named Denis in her inauguration speech last year as one of five things that inspired her about Exeter.

She recently invited Denis to afternoon tea at the Guildhall to present him with his commendation.

Since 2016, Denis has been supporting and educating his followers in their efforts to live more sustainably.

He has become known for offering key advice and guidance in an approachable way. His blogs tackling the finer points of waste reduction and the impacts of different materials and consumer habits and behaviours on the planet have proved extremely popular, reaching many thousands of people in Exeter and beyond.

In keeping with Denis’s penchant for poetry, the Past Lord Mayor had penned some verse for the occasion:

Denis the Dustcart, Exeter’s Treasure

I think in this life we all need treats
I’m rather partial to a bag of sweets.
I wanted to reduce my carbon footprint
But I did like to guzzle a bar of Lindt.
But how many air miles to get it here?
Was it better to down a bottle of beer?
How could I know the best thing to do?
My mind got into a bit of a stew.
I admit I found it all a puzzle
My brain was in a right a right old fuzzle.

Then on Facebook one day I spied
Denis the Dustcart, to be my guide.
Lots of ways to care for the world
As more and more posts unfurled.
So in the time I’ve been Lord Mayor,
I’ve talked about Denis everywhere,
Denis the Dustcart is Exeter’s Pride,
He speaks the truth and never lies.
So today it is my greatest pleasure
To celebrate Exeter’s Treasure.

Denis, whose true identity remains shrouded in mystery, said: “I want to share this recognition with my wonderful, knowledgeable and supportive colleagues in the recycling and waste teams. Denis is the ambassador for an amazing team of people doing amazing work – often under incredibly challenging circumstances.”