The mission
Our solution
Solution In partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and nine local authorities in Greater Manchester, the Renew Hub, along with three Renew shops, opened in 2021. At more than 5,000m², the award-winning Renew Hub is the UK's largest re-use operation, delivering re-use on an industrial scale.
Containers were introduced at recycling centres across Greater Manchester to allow residents to donate pre-loved items such as furniture, toys, bikes, white goods, and electrical items. Thousands of tonnes of items have been donated by residents, which would have otherwise gone to waste. The items are delivered to the Hub, refurbished, and distributed through Renew shops, or via online shops, to be resold to the local community at an affordable price.
Since the project started, over 487,000 items have been sold at the Renew shops and online, including bikes, electronic items, furniture and more. By shopping with Renew Greater Manchester residents have helped to raise over £2m for good causes in the city-region.
Furniture items are also given freely to a selection of local charities who work with those most in need in the local communities.
Renew Hub 2023
Credit: SUEZ UK
The results
The Renew Hub serves a network of Renew shops, with all sales proceeds going to good causes within the local community. As part of the partnership, SUEZ is committed to donating:
- £100,000 every year from shop sales to the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity focused on reducing homelessness.
- £200,000 every year to the Renew Community Fund.
The Renew Community Fund supports third sector and community organisations with projects aimed at reducing waste and increasing recycling and re-use. Now in its fifth round the fund has supported 110 groups across Greater Manchester.
The Hub also houses pods with work streams focused on:
- Functionality and safety testing electrical items.
- Restoring and upcycling furniture
- Bicycle repair and maintenance.
More than 20 green jobs have been created by Renew so far, including two Furniture Restoration Apprentices and a Bike Mechanic Apprentice.
In Greater Manchester SUEZ manages around 1 million tonnes of municipal waste every year from over one million households. Reuse plays a central role in the journey towards decarbonisation, supporting the city-region’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2038.