Social Value

In response to the way the contract was procured with 15% of the marks available allocated to social value, SUEZ UK have developed a comprehensive set of 54 individual commitments all designed to achieve value from Greater Manchester’s waste.

This is being featured in an exciting new digital series launched by CIWM called Leading the Way to a World Beyond Waste to show how managing waste is changing as we move towards a low carbon and more resource efficient circular economy GMCA | CIWM | World Beyond Waste

What is Social Value?

SUEZ have committed to achieving social value from the management of Greater Manchester’s waste. These impacts can be broadly split into social, environmental and economic impacts as follows:

Social Value Impacts

These include things like developing apprenticeships, traineeships and other ways of using waste to create opportunities to upskill local communities.

SUEZ have committed to offering at least 65 apprenticeships over the course of the contract, 92 traineeships, 88 work experience placements and support local schools with career days.

SUEZ pay their staff the Real Living Wage and are now members of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter,

Environmental Impacts

These are things like increasing the reuse of waste which they do through the operation of the Renew Hub; the largest reuse operation in the UK.

They have also committed to improving the biodiversity of the waste sites to increase the number of habitats available for wildlife. For example; they have introduced beehives at the Nash Road site in Trafford Park. 

Waste and recycling from Greater Manchester is also recycled or processed as locally as possible to keep transport to a minimum.

Economic Impacts

Money raised from the sales of pre-loved household items goes to good causes. Each year £220,000 is available from the Recycle for Greater Manchester community fund and £100,000 is donated to the Greater Manchester’s Mayors Charity. The Recycle for Greater Manchester Community fund has funded 22 projects in 2023. For more information visit the R4GM Coummity Fund webpage.

SUEZ are also committed to working with local SMEs, Social Enterprises, micro-businesses and third sector organisations and to support the local economy by spending 60% of total expenditure within Greater Manchester boundary.