Thursday, 25th September, 2025. WeCan, an initiative by CluneTech, has been awarded Community Programme of the Year at the 2025 Sustainable Business Impact Awards, hosted by Chambers Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday, September 24th.
This honour represents a proud milestone for CluneTech and shines a national spotlight on WeCan’s mission to blend social inclusion with environmental responsibility. Since its launch in March 2024, the initiative has created meaningful employment opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities. By leveraging Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme, it has also made a significant environmental impact, collecting over 374,000 bottles and cans, diverting 830kg of waste each week, and saving 8,300kg of CO₂
Commenting on the award, Terry Clune, CEO and Founder of CluneTech, said:
“Being awarded Community Programme of the Year at the 2025 Sustainable Business Impact Awards is a tremendous honour and a testament to the positive impact of WeCan. Since its launch, the initiative has not only helped protect the environment but has also empowered adults with intellectual disabilities to gain meaningful employment. I want to sincerely thank our team, our exclusive partners at SOS Kilkenny, and the many businesses who have supported WeCan. I am excited about WeCan’s potential to grow and create even more opportunities for our communities in the years ahead.”
John McCarthy, WeCan Project Lead, added:
“We are absolutely delighted to receive this award for Best Community Programme. At its core, WeCan is about people. It is about using the Deposit Return Scheme not only to recycle bottles and cans but to create opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities to grow in confidence, independence and connection. We see this every day in participants like Adam, Jamie and Ross whose pride and friendships have flourished since joining. This award belongs to them, to our community and to everyone who has supported WeCan.”
The Sustainable Business Impact Awards are Ireland’s foremost celebration of CSR and sustainability, recognising companies that demonstrate leadership in creating positive change across community, workplace, marketplace, and environment. CluneTech’s success in the Community Programme category highlights the impact of WeCan in fostering inclusion while driving climate action.
Since its launch, WeCan has also won the Pakman Award for Best Deposit Return Scheme Initiative, chosen ahead of leading industry names such as Coca-Cola and Lidl, and was invited by Re-Turn to present at Bord Bia Bloom, where it featured on the Sustainability Stage as an example of how the Deposit Return Scheme can deliver both environmental and social impact.
WeCan works closely with the Work4Life Employment Support team from SOS Kilkenny CLG, a not-for-profit organisation supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism. This collaboration ensures participants are supported in their workplace journey, reflecting CluneTech’s commitment to building a more inclusive society while protecting the environment.
About the Sustainable Business Impact Awards
The Sustainable Business Impact Awards, organised annually by Chambers Ireland, are Ireland’s leading awards for sustainable development and CSR. The Awards recognise the meaningful and high-quality work by companies through different award categories, including Environment, Charity, Volunteering, Community, Workplace, and Communication, Sustainable Impact by a Small or Medium Sized Business, and Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.
About WeCan
WeCan is a not-for-profit initiative that creates meaningful employment opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities, enabling them to contribute to their communities while positively impacting the environment
About CluneTech
CluneTech is a suite of software technology companies providing cutting-edge solutions that simplify global business. Our technology streamlines business processes such as digital sales, global payroll, tax compliance, global VAT & cross-border payments, making business better for our customers worldwide.
Established in 1996 by entrepreneur Terry Clune, CluneTech is headquartered in Ireland with a footprint across four continents and does business in more than 100 countries on a daily basis. The group has offices in 21 countries, and over 1,200 employees globally. The group encompasses TransferMate, Fintua, Sprintax, Benamic, among others. Immedis, a leading global payroll platform, was acquired by UKG in June 2023, in one of Ireland’s largest technology deals.
CluneTech has been recognised as one of Ireland’s best workplaces for ten consecutive years by Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture.
For more information, please contact:
Lauren Cleere, Marketing and Communications Manager, CluneTech
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