Member Article

Tees Valley launches reusable materials project

The Tees Valley is starting to lead the way in recovering and recycling huge amounts of buildings materials which are currently dumped in landfill sites. Next week Renew Tees Valley – the company established to promote the development of renewable energy and recycling industries in the area – is staging an event to discuss the potential for establishing a Building Materials Reuse Centre in the area. The move comes after research revealed there is a market for a wide range of recovered and recycled materials, including stonework and bricks as well as wood and metal fixtures.

Chris Hayward, Renew’s Technical Manager for Waste Management and Recycling, says that whilst this kind of centre is well-established in some other countries, including the United States, it is relatively new in the UK – but he says the response to next week’s workshop shows there is a great deal of interest in the project.

Mr Hayward said: “Of course, there has been a market in the recovery and re-sale of ‘antique’ style building items – for example old fireplaces and radiators – for many years, but this proposal visualises something on a much bigger scale. “We would like to see the setting up of a new specialist centre where much of the materials could either be recovered and re-used or sent for recycling. It would offer a resource for all kinds of materials both for the building trade and the general public – and, of course, provide new employment opportunities.”

The workshop to consider the project is being held at the Swallow Hotel in Stockton on Tuesday 24 April and will be attended by around 70 delegates from a wide range of organisations including the building and construction industries, local authorities and waste management companies.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .