SUEZ and Greater Manchester agree extension to waste and recycling contracts to 2034 worth over £1 billion

The largest waste disposal authority in the United Kingdom, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), has signed an eight-year extension to its waste and recycling contracts (reception and treatment, and management of household waste recycling centres) with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK (SUEZ). The initial 7-year contracts, signed in 2019, run until 2026. With this extension, SUEZ will provide waste management services until 2034, and create a platform to build on the successes of their first 5 years of partnership and for investment in infrastructure.

The decision by GMCA affirms SUEZ’s position as a leading service provider for complex, integrated contracts in the UK, a market that forms a key part of SUEZ’s international ambitions.

SUEZ and GMCA have been working in partnership to manage the 1.03 million tonnes of waste every year for over one million households across nine Greater Manchester boroughs since 2019. Under the extended contracts, SUEZ will continue to work with GMCA and the nine waste collection authorities to put residents at the forefront of innovation in recycling and waste services. In the coming months Greater Manchester residents will be able to recycle more materials in their household collections such as pots, tubs and trays. There will also be significant investment to upgrade the energy-from-waste facility at Raikes Lane in Bolton to both improve its environmental performance and optimise its efficiency.

We are delighted to extend our contracts with GMCA, the UK’s largest waste disposal authority, to support them in their transition to a more circular economy. GMCA’s decision to strengthen its collaboration with SUEZ is a sign of the long-term trust we’ve built. It underlines SUEZ’s commitment to creating economic and social value for our customers and the communities where we operate, through our innovative and resilient solutions.

Sabrina Soussan , Chairman and CEO of SUEZ

Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive to GMCA, GMFRS and TFGM said: “I am delighted that the GMCA contracts for waste management with SUEZ have been extended. Under our unique devolution deal, we are making sure that these contracts push the boundaries on delivery of social value for the city region through public sector procurement, developing a model that is seen as best practice nationally.

Our partnership with SUEZ has seen a significant improvement in performance with landfill diversion exceeding 99.8% and HWRC recycling approaching 60%. Waste management in the UK faces several challenges in the future from major policy reform and I have every confidence that GMCA and SUEZ are well placed to meet those challenges and to continue to provide excellent waste management services for our residents.".

As the new Government prioritises moving Britain to a ‘zero waste economy’, with upcoming reforms to recycling collections, extended producer responsibility, and the sector’s inclusion within emissions trading scheme, SUEZ and GMCA will continue to work together over the next decade to make Greater Manchester a leading Green City region in the UK.

A partnership with innovation, social value and education at its core for half a decade

The extension gives both partners the confidence to build on what are already innovative and forward-thinking contracts – the first of their kind to put such an emphasis on creating social value, an area where Greater Manchester leads the way, building a greener, fairer, more prosperous city region. In just five years the partnership has achieved significant improvements, testament to the resilience and focus it has brought to managing Greater Manchester’s waste:

A significant increase in the recycling rate: the recycling rate across the Authority’s 20 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) has increased from 35% to 58%.
The introduction of the Renew Hub, an innovative reuse service: the introduction of an innovative reuse service across the contract has cemented SUEZ as a leader in creating social value within the industry, at the same time as showcasing Greater Manchester as a leading city region that does things differently. The first of its kind Renew Hub, and the network of Renew shops have diverted more than 260,000 individual items to reuse, raising more than £1million for good causes across Greater Manchester. This is just one of 54 social value commitments within the contract that makes the partnership so strong – commitments that have delivered wide ranging additional social, environmental and economic benefits across Greater Manchester. Thanks to these innovative solutions and increases in recycling rates, the overall percentage of waste diverted from landfill from Greater Manchester is now more than 99%.
A strong contribution to local inclusion and education: with a focus on green skills, 38 apprenticeships have been created by the contract so far with roles including recycling operatives, welders, electricians and two new furniture restorers at the Renew Hub. Working with Recycling Lives at the Renew Hub there have been 53 work placements for people on probation through the Achieve programme. SUEZ has led more than 60 events with schools and young people to educate them about recycling and reuse, while positioning the sector as an attractive future career option and has also supported 11 research projects with local colleges and universities.
A proactive biodiversity conservation policy: preserving nature is one of the pillars of SUEZ’s sustainable development roadmap, alongside social responsibility and action for climate. It forms part of the commitments within the contracts to put Greater Manchester’s waste to good use. In the first 5 years, SUEZ planted 1,498 trees with City of Trees, donated over 350 tonnes of compost to community groups and has taken a range of actions to improve biodiversity across Greater Manchester’s waste sites.