Walsall Completes £32m Waste Facility Processing 40,000 Tonnes Annually

Walsall Council has completed the construction of a new £32 million Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) and Waste Transfer Station (WTS) located on Middlemore Lane in Aldridge, which is expected to become operational in 2025. The facility can process 40,000 tonnes of waste annually across 19 bays, each with two skips, and is designed to handle up to 125,000 tonnes of municipal waste and recyclate per year, supporting the council's new waste strategy focused on increasing recycling and reuse to reduce landfill waste. The site includes modern features such as weighbridges, ventilation systems, service yards, office and welfare facilities, and a dedicated reuse shop with a workshop for refurbishing donated items to promote a circular economy. Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Regeneration, emphasized the project's importance in meeting increasing waste demands and highlighted the local social impact, including hiring 69% of the workforce from within a 20-mile radius and engaging apprentices and graduates. The construction was carried out by Morgan Sindall Construction, who overcame significant engineering challenges including ground stabilization before delivering the state-of-the-art facility. Overall, the project aims to improve waste management in the borough by enabling more effective recycling and reuse, contributing to a cleaner local environment.