Work begins on new Reuse and Recycling Centre in Hartcliffe Way

Main image: Avonmouth Re-use and Recycling Centre. Picture Bristol City Council.

Construction work has begun on the new Household Reuse and Recycling Centre for South Bristol – due to open to the public next year.

Based on the site of the Street Cleansing Depot in Hartcliffe Way – it will be the largest household recycling centre in the region.

The new facility will mean South Bristol residents will no longer have to travel across the city to recycle their waste in St Philips and Avonmouth.

The site will have a split-level layout and one-way traffic system to allow users to safely sort their items into “easily accessible, dedicated bins”.

The design of the centre aims to avoid queues in the road outside after consultations and site visits with local residents and organisations in 2019 – who expressed concern about traffic building up in the area.

Reuse shop and workshop at the site

It will also be home to a reuse shop and purpose-built workshop, similar to the one which opened in Avonmouth last year.

This will help divert good quality, pre-loved items from the waste stream and provide low-cost household products for sale – such as televisions, furniture and vacuum cleaners.

By redirecting reusable items from being thrown away, it will also help Bristol reach its recycling targets. All profits from the sale of reusable items will also be reinvested in waste reduction schemes, as well as supporting local charities

There are also plans to trial a bicycle trailer loan scheme which would allow residents to take home goods from the reuse shop, or bring items to the centre.

Managing Director of Bristol Waste Company, Tony Lawless, said: “…We are constantly striving to develop a more sustainable city and this exciting new site will offer additional recycling capacity for the city as well as reduce our carbon footprint by removing the need for residents to drive across the city to the existing sites.

“The Recycling Centre will help save valuable resources, offer low cost household items to local residents and help us reach our ambitious recycling targets.”

Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, said: “It is great to deliver this facility that the residents of south Bristol have been waiting for…

“Part of our commitment to making Bristol cleaner and greener is further reducing the amount of waste that is sent to landfill, and this centre will help us to achieve this goal by supporting people to recycle, repair and reuse – giving pre-loved items a second life as often as possible.’’

Staff to work on construction will be hired locally

The construction work will also benefit the local economy and aim to reduce its carbon footprint – with both staff and vehicles being hired locally wherever possible.

Contractors Encon Construction will be holding a virtual meeting for any local businesses interested in working with them on the project.

They will be looking for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with experience in areas such as scaffolding, groundworks and carpentry as well as brickwork, painting and roofing. 

The site is due to open to the public in 2022 for seven days a week, only closing three days a year on 25 and 26 December and 1 January.