Daughter of Cork man presented with OBE for her contribution to recycling

Jacqueline O'Donovan with her OBE medal in Windsor Castle

The daughter of a Cork man Jacqueline O’Donovan, who has led her father’s waste and recycling company since 1985, has been presented with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles III.

The honour was bestowed in recognition of her outstanding contribution in the fields of recycling, safety, and industry. The investiture ceremony took place in Windsor Castle.

Ms O’Donovan was just 19 when her father, Denis Joseph O’Donovan, died suddenly leaving her and her siblings in charge of the O’Donovan Waste Disposal. Mr O’Donovan, a native of Cork, left Ireland in the 1950s before setting up his business in London in 1959.

He was just 51 when he died suddenly leaving behind his wife Kathleen and four children - Michael, Caroline, Anthony and Jacqueline.

Over the years, the company has since invested heavily in waste processing infrastructure and operations and produces recycled materials for re-use to a British Standard quality certification. It claims to process over one million tonnes of waste annually and diverse 100% of all waste from landfills.

Ms O’Donovan has previously been honoured by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins with a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for her continuous support of the Irish community in the UK.

She said she was “deeply honoured” to receive the OBE which “cements the fact that the work I have done and continue to do is making a difference and a positive impact”.