Bury St Edmunds Recycling Centre shortlisted as Civic Amenity Site of the Year

The Recycling Centre in Bury St Edmunds may only have been open for less than a year, but it has already won plaudits for its green initiatives.

Suffolk County Council and its waste and recycling partner, FCC Environment, which operate the site in Fornham Road, have been shortlisted as Civic Amenity Site of the Year in the 2020 LetsRecycle Awards for Excellence.

The site, which replaced the old Rougham Hill centre, only opened in January.

Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for waste, said: “The site in Bury St Edmunds is our flagship recycling centre, with facilities accessible on a single level, removing the need for steps, making it safer and easier for visitors to recycle and re-use their rubbish.

“The site can be serviced from below, without the need to close or interrupt the visitor experience. A significant volume of work has been undertaken to provide this facility to our residents across Suffolk and we are delighted that our work has been recognised by the renowned sector body.

“We thank each and every one of the team working tirelessly on site, especially in the current circumstances and we look forward to the awards.”

The LetsRecycle Awards for Excellence is a national event which celebrates efforts and achievements to promote the environment. Winners will be announced later this month during a socially distanced ceremony in London.

The awards judges were said to be were impressed by the ‘state-of-the-art’ site that ‘features a clear layout and improved accessibility for residents visiting the facility’ to dispose of their items.

There is also a reuse shop, which encourages visitors to donate as soon as they enter. Parts of the site are managed by partner organisation West Suffolk Council.

Paul Smith, of FCC Environment, said: “We are very proud of the Bury St Edmunds site and our employees there for everything they have achieved since opening, from increased volume of re-use and recycling to heartfelt compliments from local residents.

“This site is more than a recycling centre – it houses a local charity reuse shop and actively promotes the waste hierarchy. We are always pleased to welcome our wide range of visitors.”

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