Major investment approved for recycling in Suffolk

At yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, my Cabinet colleagues and I approved a major investment in the future of recycling for Gipping Valley and the whole of Suffolk.

The Environment Act 2021 requires councils across England to collect a wider range of recyclable materials from homes and businesses from 2026. This includes:
✅ Glass jars and bottles
✅ Tetrapak cartons
✅ Flexible plastics such as bags and wrappers
✅ Food waste

To make this possible, Suffolk County Council will be upgrading the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at Great Blakenham – right here in Gipping Valley. This facility plays a vital role in sorting and processing the recycling collected from across Suffolk.

This upgrade will:
🔹 Enable the MRF to handle the new materials
🔹 Optimise sorting to increase the range of plastics separated and maximise income
🔹 Future-proof our recycling systems for years to come

The £5.9m investment will come from Suffolk’s existing waste budget – meaning no new borrowing – and will be funded through the national producer responsibility scheme, which requires packaging producers to cover the costs of managing their waste.

Over the life of the extended contract with Biffa, this investment is estimated to save Suffolk taxpayers £3.7m.

This is another great example of Suffolk’s waste team delivering innovation and value for money, following the success of the Energy from Waste facility.

🌱 This is a smart investment for Gipping Valley and Suffolk – supporting better recycling, reducing waste, and delivering savings for residents.