10 years of sustainable waste management in South Tyne and Wear
The 25-year contract between Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council under the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership (STWWMP) and SUEZ began in 2014, with the aim of reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. Less than 0.5% of waste from the South Tyne and Wear area now goes to landfill compared to 60% in 2012.
SUEZ handles approximately 190,000 tonnes of South Tyne and Wear’s residual waste each year. On behalf of the councils, SUEZ operate three transfer stations which have all seen upgrades to the facilities over the last 10 years. Located in each authority area, the transfer stations separate resident waste into recyclable materials, with the residual waste being transported to a purpose-built energy-from-waste (EfW) facility where it is processed to generate electricity. The EfW in Teesside has processed more than 3 million tonnes of waste in the last 10 years, generating enough electricity to power more than 7.2 million UK homes for a month.1
Councillor Maria Hall, Chair of the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership, said: “The progress we’ve made over the past decade is nothing short of remarkable, and it clearly demonstrates the partnership’s commitment to improving our waste management. Through improved education we’ve encouraged residents to recycle more, and by treating residual waste as a valuable resource in sending it to an Energy from Waste facility, using it to generate electricity, we’re successfully diverting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste from across South Tyne and Wear being sent to landfill.”
To mark the significant shift over the last 10 years, SUEZ management joined elected members and officers from Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council at the Waste and Recycling Visitor Education Centre located next door to Campground’s Waste Transfer Station and the Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) to celebrate.
John Scanlon, Chief Executive of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said, “We’re immensely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the last 10 years through our close working relationship with the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership, delivering sustainable solutions for the treatment of residents’ waste. I look forward to continuing our collaborative partnership as the UK transitions towards a more circular economy.”
The waste and recycling visitor education centre at Campground, where the celebration was held, was developed to help to deliver a recycling and waste education programme across the three boroughs, so that residents can learn about the sustainable management of their waste and how to make a difference in what they do at home. The centre and outreach engagement are run by third sector environmental regeneration charity Groundwork, on behalf of the partnership and SUEZ. They have engaged with more than 50,000 visitors since 2014.
Ahead of the celebratory event, a poetry competition was organised on the theme of recycling and protecting the environment with local schools invited to take part. The winning entries from Rowlands Gill Primary School and Mortimer Community College attended the event to read out their fantastic poems alongside a special singing performance from Benedict Biscorp C.E Academy.
