Reuse shop opens at Tees Valley recycling centre
A new reuse shop has officially opened at the Tees Valley household waste recycling centre (HWRC) in Haverton Hill.
The initiative forms part of the recently agreed extension of the HWRC contract to 2031, continuing a 25-year partnership between Suez Recycling and Recovery UK and Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough councils.
Opened with a ribbon cutting by council leaders and Suez representatives, the shop will give household items such as appliances, furniture and other reusable goods a second life.
Steve Patterson, Regional Director at Suez, said: “The shop is an example of how we can all play our part in reducing waste and creating value for our communities.”
Councillor Peter Gavigan, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Environment & Sustainability, added: “This fantastic initiative is not just cutting down on waste, but helping people save money and contribute to a greener borough.”
Grundon grants £55K to biodiversity and community projects
Grundon Waste Management has awarded £55,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) to support a series of community and biodiversity initiatives.
Among the beneficiaries is Shedquarters in Peppard Common, near Reading, which combats social isolation by giving older people the chance to develop woodworking skills, creating bird boxes, benches and planters.
In Watford, a £26,000 grant is helping restore the Cassiobury Park Nature Reserve wetlands, including watercress beds, wildlife ponds and access improvements.
A further £14,000 has been allocated to the Bury Grounds Biodiversity Project in Rickmansworth, supporting habitat restoration, tree preservation and improved public access.
Kirsti Santer, Grundon’s Head of Marketing & Communications, said: “All three projects illustrate the benefits that receiving an LCF grant can make.”
Applications open for NERF Awards
The North East Recycling Forum (NERF) has announced the launch of its inaugural NERF Awards, which will be presented at the group’s Annual Conference on 18 November at Newcastle Civic Centre.
Designed to spotlight individuals, organisations and initiatives making a positive impact across the region, the awards feature four categories:
- Best Waste Minimisation Initiative
- Newcomer of the Year
- Best Campaign
- Best Reuse Initiative
Applications are open until 16 October, with winners set to be revealed at the conference.
Jo Holmes, Secretariat of NERF and Managing Director of Genee Consulting, said: “We’ve always known that the North East is home to some of the most forward-thinking, community-driven work in the waste sector. These awards are a way of celebrating that, and giving well-earned recognition to the people driving it.”
Calendar celebrates Manchester’s wheelie bins
Take The A-Frame has announced its calendar of the Wheelie Bins of Greater Manchester for 2026, highlighting the 40 bins which make up the 10 metropolitan areas.
Each page features informatics, including bin type, colour and volume, collection frequency and council tax rate per litre.
Stuart Atkinson said: “I’ve been making unusual calendars for a couple of years, and so far have covered things like electricity pylons and views of the M60 orbital motorway.
“I’ve always joked that when it started, I genuinely had visions of the pylons calendars going in the paper recycling, so it always surprises me when they sell! So it seemed an obvious step to look at something else that we take for granted most of the time – the domestic wheelie bin. It also fitted in with the type of humour I was going for. Plus I learned something along the way.
“Being in Greater Manchester we are lucky to have 10 boroughs, each with 4 bins, making a total of 40 bins in a relatively small geographical area. So it’s funny when discussing bins as people tend to refer to them by colour – and you see how confusing it can be across boroughs.
“The calendar gives analysis on bin sizes, annual volumes per bin, a metric of value based on council tax, and a list of bin types when paired with contents. For example, of the 40 bins, 9 are actually blue and contain paper – which was the largest by far of any type.
“I was pleased to get Calendar Club (the UK’s largest calendar retailer) on board and they received their first batch today. Hopefully more exposure to come on local TV and radio, although I did actually make Have I Got News For You for this year’s calendars.”
The calendars are available on Take The A-Frame’s website.
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