The Recycling Centre, based on Hartcliffe Way in the south of the city, will be managed by the council own waste contractor, Bristol Waste Company. Due to open to the public next year, the site was visited by Bristol mayor Marvin Rees yesterday (24 August 2021) to see how the works are progressing. Work on the site began in March 2020 and is now due to open to the public in 2022.
According to the Bristol Waste Company, the site based on Hartcliffe Way will be one of the largest in the region. The shop will sell good quality, pre-loved items, saving them from going to waste. A team of staff and trained volunteers will ensure everything is fit for purpose and cleaned before being made available for purchase. Profits from the sale of reusable items will be reinvested in waste reduction schemes, as well as supporting local charities.
Mr Rees said he was “delighted” to see the developments already made, and the “good work” happening the process. He continued: “We are proud to be the leading English Core City for recycling, but we know there is always more that can be done, and this new facility will help us to reach our ambitious recycling targets. “Part of our commitment to making Bristol cleaner and greener is further reducing the amount of waste that is sent to landfill, and this centre will help us to achieve this goal by supporting people to recycle, repair and reuse – giving pre-loved items a second life.”
The centre will be the second of its kind in Bristol, with the first combined HWRC and reuse shop having opened in Avonmouth in June 2020. The Avonmouth reuse shop has diverted over 80 tonnes from the waste stream so far. Tony Lawless, managing director at Bristol Waste Company added: “Overseeing a project of this size and scale during a pandemic and through Brexit has not been without its challenges. It makes seeing it take shape, and staying on track, on time and within budget, even more exciting. The pandemic made us value our precious resources more. It highlighted the need to waste less and recycle more in our own homes and beyond. This new site will provide a solid infrastructure for the south of our city to lead the way to a more sustainable future.”
