Environment Minister Edwin Poots has visited a Household Recycling Centre in Magherafelt as work begins on improvements to the site, following a £945,898 grant from his Department’s Household Waste Recycling Collaborative Change Programme.
The funding was awarded to Mid Ulster District Council to redevelop the Magherafelt Household Recycling Centre (HRC) and Transfer Station to provide a bespoke state of the art recycling centre and transfer facility, which will increase both the quantity and quality of recyclable materials collected on the site.
Welcoming the environmental and economic benefits the new improved facilities would bring, Minister Poots said: “I am delighted that Mid Ulster District Council secured this funding to improve the facilities at Magherafelt Household Recycling Centre. Magherafelt HRC is one of the three main HRC's in Mid Ulster. Designed almost 20 years ago, utilising open skips and rear-end loaded collection vehicles, the site has evolved and operations expanded to include a waste transfer station for the council's kerbside blue and black bin materials and as a result it is now no longer fit for purpose.”
The new facilities will provide increased and better material separation and storage on site of recyclables, as well as resulting in a reduced overall environmental impact due to less vehicle movements, better waste containment and the reduction of litter from open top skips. The customer experience will also improve through better access, signage and fit for purpose containers and compactors at the site. By the end of the first full year of operation, the improved Magherafelt Household Recycling Centre should result in an additional 1,958 tonnes of recyclable material being diverted from landfill.
The Minister concluded: “Over the past few years we have seen an ever increasing positive and responsible public attitude towards recycling and it is important that we continue to collaborate with local councils and stakeholders to ensure this trend continues. By improving our recycling facilities we can ensure that the quality of our recycling improves, thereby reducing our landfill. This benefits both our economy and our environment.”
Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Paul McLean, welcomed the Minister to Magherafelt: “This is a major combined investment by DAERA and the council in our Magherafelt recycling and waste facilities of £1.7million, creating state of the art facilities both for our residents using the centre and for our operational staff who manage and deliver extensive waste services from the site.
“Mid Ulster already has the highest recycling rate of all 11 councils here in Northern Ireland and this commitment to modernising our facilities is key to ensuring that we can continue to meet waste recycling and reduction targets. I look forward to seeing the work progress in the months ahead.”
Notes to editors:
- DAERA’s £23million Household Waste Recycling Collaborative Change Programme was launched in June 2019 to allow local councils to improve facilities including enhancing household waste recycling centres and kerbside collections.
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