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Milton Keynes City Council has appointed SUEZ as the new operator of the Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park (MKWRP), which processes the city’s household rubbish and turns waste that can’t be recycled into sustainable energy.
The new 10‑year contract, valued at £396 million, will commence in the autumn.
Milton Keynes City Council opened its Waste Recovery Park in 2018 and since then almost 100 per cent of MK’s waste has been diverted from landfill. The plant can process up to 132,000 tonnes of unrecyclable waste each year, creating power equivalent to that used by 10 per cent of MK’s homes. It uses an innovative method called gasification, which is greener and produces fewer emissions than incinerators.
SUEZ has strong experience of developing and operating energy from waste facilities, including the gasification plant at the Shepperton Eco Park in Surrey. The city council said it was impressed by SUEZ’s bid, which showed excellent value for money for local people, a deep understanding of the city council’s commitment to sustainability, and a willingness to explore new green opportunities in partnership, such as a ‘private wire’ network where low-carbon power from the MKWRP could be used directly by local organisations, lowering energy bills.
The contract will build on the work between the city council and SUEZ, as in 2023 SUEZ took on the city contract for recycling and waste collections, rolling out city council plans to separate different types of recycling in red and blue bins. Since then, Milton Keynes has jumped 82 places in national charts to become the number one city for recycling.
Cabinet Member for Public Realm, Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew said: “This new contract provides an excellent opportunity to explore new green opportunities in partnership. It provides excellent value for money for local people, and I look forward to seeing this new chapter in our city’s innovative recycling history become a reality.”
John Scanlon, Executive Vice President UK, SUEZ commented: “We are delighted to be awarded the operation of the Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park. We have worked in partnership with Milton Keynes City Council since 2023 on their collections and street cleansing operation, delivering an improved service for residents and increasing recycling rates to take the city to number 1 spot in England for recycling. I’m delighted to extend our partnership by adding SUEZ’s expertise in energy recovery to the range of essential services we provide to the city.”
