Dozens of redundancies as Yorkshire recycling facility shuts for good
Dozens of redundancies have been made as the Materials Recycling Facility in Huddersfield is closed down in a bid to save cash.
The facility, which sits off Leeds Road and was operated by SUEZ, was originally due to close in 2028 but this has been brought forward.
managing director for processing north at SUEZ, Steve Patterson, says the move will cut costs for Kirklees Council and support the local authority’s long-term waste and recycling priorities.
A total of thirty-two roles have been made redundant.
Councillor Pip Harvey, cabinet member for place, culture and volunteering at Kirklees Council said: “I can confirm that the materials and recycling facility (MRF) on Leeds Road, operated by our contractors SUEZ, has closed as the facility reached the end of its planned role.
“Household recycling collections will operate as normal, and materials will continue to be recycled. Residents should not notice any change to the service they receive as a result of these changes.
“As part of our wider improvements, we are currently preparing for the national statutory changes implemented by the UK government. Simpler Recycling, due to be rolled out in 2028, will make it easier for residents to recycle more materials from home.”
Steve Patterson, managing director for processing north at SUEZ said: “After a period of consultation 32 roles at the SUEZ Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Huddersfield have been made redundant due to the closing of the facility.
“We are committed to delivering the best-value services for Kirklees residents and businesses and have identified that an earlier closure of the site, which was originally due to close in 2028, would reduce costs for the council and further support their longer-term waste and recycling priorities.
“Where possible we have endeavoured to redeploy staff to alternative roles within our network.”
The government’s Simpler Recycling initiative aims to make waste and recycling services more consistent across the country.
In Kirklees, residents are set to be able to recycle more materials from home from 2028, with the proposed recycling model recently greenlit by the Reform administration.