HWRCs are a vital part of the waste management services provided by local authorities. They accept significant tonnage of materials for reuse, recycling and disposal, providing a valuable service to local residents, and in some cases, small businesses.
The following resources have been designed to support local authorities looking to review their network of HWRCs or develop new sites that are efficient and support high levels of reuse and recycling.
Best Practice HWRC Case Study examples
Cornwall Council & SUEZ: Creating Cornwall’s reuse network
Working with Cornwall Council, SUEZ is driving forward a large-scale roll out of reuse retail outlets across the county. These shops will see hundreds of tonnes of pre-loved items given a new lease of life every year, diverting materials from general waste streams and promoting a more resource efficient, circular economy.
Hampshire County Council: Introducing a HWRC booking system
Hampshire County Council was an early adopter of a HWRC booking system. The booking system was initially introduced to manage visitor numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the system proved popular with residents and brought other benefits to the HWRC service.
Hertfordshire County Council: A new recycling centre and reuse shop for Welwyn Garden City
In May 2023, Hertfordshire County Council opened the new Welwyn Garden City Recycling Centre and Reuse Shop, designed to provide a first-class recycling facility for residents and small businesses, as well as using innovative solutions to reduce its environmental footprint.
Suffolk Council: Foxhall Recycling Centre redevelopment
The improved Foxhall Recycling Centre in Ipswich is Suffolk’s flagship recycling centre. It was reopened to the public in December 2023, following redevelopment to improve the site’s layout, accessibility and capacity. The site has been future-proofed for the long-term development of the catchment area that it serves.
Surrey County Council & SUEZ: Social value in partnership with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
In 2015, Surrey County Council in partnership with SUEZ, launched their Revive reuse shops and now have well established and popular shops at five community recycling centres. In 2024/25, the shops turned over more than £1 million, with around 1,000 tonnes of reusable items diverted from disposal each year.
Other key areas of work with local authorities
Contact us for more information
If your authority would benefit from accessing our one-to-one support, or would simply like to discuss the kind of support we can offer, please get in touch for more information.
We have a team of experts who would be very happy to help.