[A] unique waste recycling company will bring a new facility and local jobs to West Cumbria, having won a contract with Sellafield Ltd.
‘Recycling Lives’ will recycle metal from the nuclear site, offering jobs and training opportunities at a new depot in Workington.
The company will also set up a food distribution charity with centres throughout Cumbria, which will also need staff and volunteers.
This follows the success of a similar community programme they have delivered throughout Lancashire.
Martin Chown, Sellafield Ltd.’s supply chain director, said; “We want to ensure our local communities derive maximum economic benefit from the money we spend at Sellafield.
“We do this by insisting that companies that win work with us invest to support local growth.
“Recycling Lives has these values at its core, and I’m excited by their plans to create jobs and support disadvantaged people in west Cumbria, as a result of winning work at Sellafield.
The scrap buying and processing facility close to the port of Workington, has brought an empty site back into use, and will be open to the public and other businesses from September.
Martin added; “This demonstrates the unique power of Sellafield Ltd, able to invest in the local supply chain and attract new businesses to the area.”
The contract is worth £150k and is set to last three years, but the company hopes the benefits to the county will go beyond this period.
Managing director for Recycling Lives, William Fletcher said; “We are pleased to have been chosen as the preferred contractor for scrap metal collection and processing from Sellafield Ltd.
“We’re really excited to be able to use this contract to create social value across Cumbria.
“The benefits will be more than just environmental and economic, as we create social impact through job creation and food redistribution.”
Their food redistribution service operates on behalf of national organisation, Fareshare. It diverts surplus food from manufacturers, suppliers and supermarkets, that would otherwise go to landfill, and distributes it to charities and community groups in deprived areas.
The company are working with local authorities to identify ‘food collection points’ throughout Allerdale and Copeland.
The centre in Lancashire has just served its one millionth meal, and diverted more than 400 tonnes of goods from landfill since October 2015.
Karen Dickens, NDA Socio-economic manager, said: “The supply chain has an essential role in supporting the long-term sustainable future of our communities, and the award of the metals recycling contract to Recycling Lives is a fantastic example of how that can work.”
