Greater Manchester’s Renew Community Fund supports 20 reuse projects
Twenty community groups across Greater Manchester will share £220,000 from the Renew Community Fund to support local initiatives that keep household items in use for longer.
Run jointly by Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) and Suez Recycling and Recovery UK, the fund is generated through the sale of preloved items collected at recycling centres and resold via Renew Shops in Oldham, Trafford and Salford, as well as online.
Since 2021, the scheme has awarded £1.1 million to 110 projects which promote repair, reuse and upskilling across the region.
This year’s recipients include Gorse Hill Studios, which will build a new community hub from donated materials, and Restocked CIC, which rescues unwanted furniture for families in need.
Rebecca Hill from Restocked CIC commented: “We are absolutely delighted and so grateful to receive this funding. It means we can set up our workshop, rescue more furniture from going to waste, and help local people facing furniture poverty to create homes they can be proud of.”
Other projects span childcare and family support, behaviour change programmes, repair initiatives, and upskilling workshops.
Councillor Tom Ross, GMCA lead for the Environment, Waste and Recycling, said: “Voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups play a vital role in our communities, which is why it’s so important that we continue to support them.”
ERP UK collects and recycles five million tonnes of e-waste
The European Recycling Platform (ERP) UK has announced that, together with its European partners, it has collected and responsibly treated more than five million tonnes of electronic waste since its foundation in 2002.
The milestone highlights two decades of innovation in e-waste management, resource recovery, and circular economy collaboration across multiple European countries.
Through its recycling processes, ERP has recovered over two million tonnes of ferrous metals, 89,000 tonnes of aluminium, 54,000 tonnes of copper, as well as 92 tonnes of gold and nine tonnes of palladium.
John Redmayne, Managing Director of ERP UK, said: “Hitting the five million tonne milestone underscores the tangible results of collective responsibility and collaboration.
“Each device and cable we recover contributes directly to conserving valuable resources, cutting carbon emissions, and safeguarding the environment for future generations.”
Dennis Eagle opens new Technical Training Centre in Warwickshire
Refuse vehicle manufacturer Dennis Eagle has officially opened a new Technical Training Centre near its Warwick headquarters.
Inaugurated on 21 October 2025, the purpose-built facility aims to help customers derive greater value from their vehicles through in-depth operator instruction, safe working procedures and preventative maintenance.
The centre will deliver courses across Dennis Eagle’s full range of refuse collection vehicles, specialist recycling vehicles and bin lifting systems, supported by interactive spaces, display areas and a customer handover zone.
Keith Day, Managing Director at Dennis Eagle, said: “The newly opened facility provides the footprint and scope to help bolster our growing operations and further enhance our customer proposition.”
Geoff Rigg, Aftermarket Director at Dennis Eagle, added: “The combination of expert-led theory with hands-on practical experience creates impactful, long-lasting value for our customers and ensures operators have the confidence to apply what they learn out in the real world.”
The Big Mend brings together Shropshire’s repair network
Veolia, in partnership with Shrewsbury Repair Café, hosted an event to bring together repair cafés from across Shropshire.
More than 250 residents attended The Big Mend, bringing items such as clocks, crockery, toys, and kitchen appliances to be repaired by a team of 45 volunteer fixers.
The event successfully saved 137 items from disposal, helping to reduce waste while strengthening community connections and sharing valuable repair skills.
Donald Macphail, Chief Operating Officer at Veolia, said: “The Big Mend demonstrates the power of reuse and repair in action. Our teams work hard to deliver essential recycling and waste services for Shropshire residents and we are proud to have sponsored and hosted the event – a community-led success story with real social value impact.”
Peter Martin, Shrewsbury Repair Cafe, added: “It was a privilege to work with our fellow repairers across the county and team up to raise awareness of the importance of repair in today’s world.”
Subscribe for free