£600k for Mayor’s Charity raised from Suez Reuse Hub
Suez Recycling and Recovery has announced a further £100,000 donation to the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, taking its total contribution to £600,000.
The funding is generated through the company’s Renew project, which diverts reusable household items from waste streams and resells them within the community.
Items donated by residents at Greater Manchester recycling centres are processed at the Renew Hub in Trafford Park, where they are cleaned, repaired and upcycled before being sold through Renew shops and online platforms.
Last year, more than 135,000 items were prevented from becoming waste.
The latest donation will support the charity’s homelessness prevention work, including the A Bed Every Night programme.
Claire Williams, Renew Manager at Suez, commented: “We are incredibly proud to see the items donated by Greater Manchester residents being transformed into life-changing support for the city-region’s most vulnerable.”
Farm plastics recycling scheme exceeds target in south Wales
Natural Resources Wales has announced that a south Wales farm plastics recycling scheme has exceeded expectations after collecting 311 tonnes of agricultural plastics in six months.
The initiative, which ran between July and December 2025, aimed to recycle an additional 200 tonnes of farm plastics but achieved a 63% increase in material collected through bring centres compared with the same period in 2023 and 2024.
More than 200 farmers took part in the scheme.
Following the strong uptake, the programme has been extended until December 2026.
The scheme offers farmers a £30 per tonne discount on plastic recycling through both bring centres and on-farm collections, with a greater saving available for bring centre deliveries.
Chris Thomas, Senior Land Management Officer for Four Rivers for LIFE, said: “We are delighted by the take up and support from the farming community to the scheme, and thank everyone who has been involved so far.
“Small changes like this add up to a big difference for our rivers and the wildlife that rely on them.”
SOENECS backs circular marine project in Arctic expedition
SOENECS is supporting a new research initiative focused on advancing circular economy solutions for the marine sector through the Arctic Impact Project – an attempt by explorer Lisa Blair to become the first person to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the Arctic Circle in a single season.
The Sustainable Composites for Next Gen Boat Hulls project brings together UNSW Sydney, Australian Composites Manufacturing CRC, SOENECS and Steber International to develop alternatives to traditional glass reinforced plastic (GRP) vessels.
The collaboration is exploring the use of basalt fibre and advanced bio-resins to create more sustainable marine composites.
SOENECS will also carry out an environmental impact study and lifecycle assessment work aimed at supporting scalable circular pathways for end-of-life boats and reducing the marine industry’s reliance on linear material models.
David Greenfield, Founder of SOENECS, commented: “This work can define a scalable circular blueprint for marine composites, shifting the industry from linear dependency to regenerative design.”
FCC Environment supports prison bicycle reuse initiative
FCC Environment has partnered with Cynthia Spencer Hospice and HMP Five Wells to launch a bicycle repair and refurbishment project aimed at promoting reuse and skills development.
The initiative gives men at HMP Five Wells hands-on training in bicycle maintenance and repair, helping to build confidence, improve employability and support rehabilitation.
Refurbished bicycles from the scheme are now available for purchase at the Cynthia Spencer Reuse Charity Shop at Sixfields Household Waste and Recycling Centre.
Sarah Markham, Assistant Reuse Development Manager at FCC Environment, said: “We are proud to support this bicycle repair project and the donation of books to the prison library.
“Supporting initiatives like this aligns strongly with our values around sustainability, education, and community engagement.
“We’re pleased to play a part in a project that delivers long‑term benefits.”
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