Our story
Sunderland City Council's former Beach Street recycling centre was an ageing facility and had been operating beyond capacity with no further scope for refurbishment. At the same time, there was increasing resident usage and therefore increased incidences of congestion at peak times at the old site.
The site had around 40,000 visits annually and collected around 17,000 tonnes of plastic, wood, rubble, garden waste and redundant electrical appliances, such as white goods and televisions. About 60 per cent of all the waste that is delivered to Beach Street is recycled.
The new Household Waste Recycling Centre at Pallion Industrial Estate, completed in 2022, is five-times larger and the split-level design makes it easier for householders to use the waste containers, with no steps to climb. Operationally, it's possible to change over the waste containers without having to temporarily close the site.
The new facility is more efficient, with better facilities and opportunities to recycle and re-use more waste materials. The site includes a purpose-built recycling/re-use shop, Revive Sunderland, with its own car park and pedestrian access.
Revive Sunderland is operated by a charity and enables items people no longer have a use for, which might otherwise end up going to energy from waste, to be recycled and resold. Any re-usable items such as furniture, working electrical items, clothing, bikes, toys, books, CDs, bric-a-brac and other household items can be donated directly to the re-use shop, where donations can be sold at low prices and enjoyed by somebody else.
In line with the council’s commitment to the green agenda, the new site is much more energy efficient, with solar panels, rainwater harvesting and low energy lighting. During construction, recycled concrete was used from the Rolls Royce buildings which once stood on the same site.
Our advice
Look at other areas of best practice before agreeing your design requirements and try to look at future proofing the facility, as well as looking at any innovative solutions. It is key to work with future service providers in partnership to ensure that the facility meets all requirements.
Operating a reuse shop on the same site as a council's household waste and recycling centre is a great way to give items a longer life and promote sustainability.
Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by the increase in household waste recycled; reductions in carbon emissions, nitrous oxide emissions and particulate matter; reduced congestion on site; and by promoting more effective ways to reduce waste through reuse.
