Greater Manchester extends £800 million waste and recycling contracts

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has awarded a contract extension worth £800 million for SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK to continue processing the city-region’s waste.

The original seven-year contracts were signed in 2019, with the facility to extend by up to a further eight years from 2026. The new contract extension, the largest of its kind in Europe, will see SUEZ continue to deliver recycling and waste management services through to 2034.

Extension follows strong performance by SUEZ, with over 99.8% of waste diverted from landfill using methods such as converting waste to energy, composting for agricultural land and recycling/reuse. This is an increase from 90% diverted from landfill before 2019.

Recycling rates at household waste recycling centres have increased from 35% to 58% since the contracts were won in 2019.

The contract also includes a strong emphasis on social benefits, with £1.3 million so far already put back into charities and community projects in the city-region, as well as the creation of 38 apprenticeships. These include the Recycling for Greater Manchester Community Fund, The Renew Hub and 54 social value commitments within the contract.

Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive to GMCA, GMFRS and TFGM said:

“It is good news for Greater Manchester residents that we have extended these waste management contracts. 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.

“From creating jobs and apprenticeship opportunities to hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding for community projects every year, the last five years has seen a huge shift in waste management services that puts our residents at the very heart of them.

“Our partnership with SUEZ has also seen a significant improvement in performance with only 0.2% of waste going into landfill and HWRC recycling close to 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.”

Sabrina Soussan, Chairman and CEO of SUEZ said:

“We are delighted to extend our contract 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, through innovative and resilient solutions.”

John Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said:

“I’m proud of the innovations we have delivered to reuse and recycle more of Greater Manchester’s waste in our first five years of partnership with GMCA. The extension to our contracts is testament to the collaborative approach that defines our relationship and I’m delighted GMCA has chosen to continue to partner with SUEZ to navigate the coming years of change and transition as we work together to create a more resource-efficient circular economy.”

Cllr Tom Ross, GMCA’s lead for Green City-Region, said:

“It is great to see our very successful contract with SUEZ extended, providing security for jobs and investing in Greater Manchester’s waste and recycling ambitions. We are very happy with what we have achieved with SUEZ, including our fantastic Renew Hub, and are excited for our plans going forward.”