The Renew Hub: Delivering re-use on an industrial scale

In partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), SUEZ recycling and recovery UK is driving forward a circular economy by delivering a large-scale re-use project, which sees hundreds of tonnes of pre-loved items given a new lease of life every year.
The mission

To take the waste generated in Greater Manchester and use it to create economic, environmental, and social value

The project aims to reclaim the value of household items through repair and upcycling, moving items up the waste hierarchy from disposal to re-use.
Our 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 5000m², the award winning Renew Hub is the UK’s largest re-use operation, delivering re-use on an industrial scale.

 

Donation containers for residents to dispose of pre-loved items such as furniture, toys, bikes, white goods, and electrical items were introduced in recycling centres across Greater Manchester. Hundreds 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 online via an eBay page, to be resold to the local community at an affordable price. Since the project started over 130,000 items have been sold at the Renew shops and on the eBay page, this includes bikes, electronic items, furniture and more.

 

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 the shop sales to the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity focused on reducing homelessness, and £220,000 every year to the Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) Community Fund. The R4GM fund supports third sector and community organisations with projects in their local areas aimed at reducing waste and increasing recycling and re-use. Now in its third year of applications, 46 groups were funded across Greater Manchester in the first two years.

The Hub also houses pods with work streams focused on repairing white goods and small electrical appliances, restoring and upcycling of furniture, and bicycle repair and maintenance. These are run in partnership with qualified organisations, who are able to provide workshops and train apprentices and volunteers in these vital skills in the green recovery. More than 20 green jobs have been created so far, with more to come, enhancing social value.

 

SUEZ manages around 1.1million tonnes of municipal waste every year from over one million households which means that the Renew Hub will make great strides towards creating a true circular economy in Greater Manchester. Re-use plays a central role in the journey towards decarbonisation, and the launch of the Renew Hub will support the city region in meeting its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2038, while also benefiting the community.

£
220,000
donated to the Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) Community Fund every year
more than
20
green jobs created
At SUEZ we operate a triple bottom line approach to everything we do to ensure that our work benefits people and the planet.

Our reuse project in Greater Manchester with the development of the Renew shops and Hub is a perfect example of this, saving items that would have previously gone to waste and benefiting local people at the same time through the money raised.

 

We’re at a key milestone for this project with the launch of our online shop and the ability for the Hub to be used for education and events. That alongside the sheer volume of preloved items we’re processing – that go to people who really need them in this current economic climate – is a triumph and we can’t thank everybody enough who is partnering with us and sharing their skills to enable this to succeed.

Daniel Carolan-Regional Manager | SUEZ recycling and recovery UK

Supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

This project supports SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production) and SDG 13 (Climate action).