Recycling Lives expands to the north

Recycling Lives, the socially-conscious recycling firm, saved jobs by taking on new sites in Durham and Falkirk.

Opening the Durham operation saved two jobs and will create five new positions, while nine new jobs have been created in Falkirk. Recycling Lives plans to create a further four jobs at each site.

Both will also offer training and work experience to marginalised individuals, as part of Recycling Lives’ social programmes creating training and employment opportunities for ex-offenders and the long-term unemployed.

The two new premises took more than half a million pounds to develop, and take the total number of Recycling Lives locations to 11.

The sites will process End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) before they are transported to Recycling Lives’ industry-leading 15-acre Recycling Park, in Lancashire, to be recycled for metals and plastics to be exported to global markets.

Anthony Sharkey, senior operations manager, said: “Opening two sites in two months is a huge achievement that demonstrates just how quickly Recycling Lives is growing.

“Not only do these sites represent a committed investment in our business and the site’s local economies, they’ll also contribute to creating social impact for communities by supporting and sustaining our charitable programmes to create real social value.”

Recycling Lives uses its commercial operations to directly support and sustain a number of charitable programmes, rehabilitating ex-offenders, supporting the homeless, and tackling food poverty.

Its HMP Academies are rehabilitating offenders in prisons, its residential charity is supporting homeless men back into independent living in Lancashire, and its Food Redistribution Centre is diverting surplus food from supermarkets to charities and community groups.