Tomra Sorting supports 'Recycling Lives' charity efforts

TOMRA Sorting has made a substantial donation to support the charitable arm of Recycling Lives in delivering programmes to rehabilitate offenders, tackle homelessness and redistribute food.

Recycling Lives is a unique organisation which combines commercial and charitable operations. TOMRA Sorting has worked closely with Recycling Lives’ nationwide recycling and waste management company, Recycling Lives Ltd, since 2013, providing sensor-based sorting equipment for its 15-acre Recycling Park in Preston, Lancashire. The plant processes and recycles end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) scrap metals, plastics, packaging, general waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to export high-quality recycled metals and plastics to markets worldwide for reuse.  In 2018, the business reported a 61% rise in sales, invested millions in its infrastructure and was named Recycling Business of the Year.

Earlier this year, when Recycling Lives Ltd signed a new five-year service contract to maintain the TOMRA Sorting equipment installed at the plant, TOMRA decided to donate 10% of the contract’s total value to Recycling Lives Ltd’s sister charity, Recycling Lives UK.

Recycling Lives UK delivers a residential programme of supported accommodation for homeless men to undertake training and work placements to eventually move into employment and their own home. This is supported by Recycling Lives Social Enterprises, whose HMP Academies programme offers opportunities for offenders in prison to develop life and work skills and secure work upon release, to reduce their risk of reoffending. And its Food Redistribution Centre takes surplus food from supermarkets to deliver to charitable groups in order to reduce food waste, tackle food poverty and reduce running costs for groups.

Each of these creates significant social value by reducing reoffending, tackling homeless and supporting charities, all of which creates savings to the taxpayer.

Brian Gist, Head of TOMRA UK, comments: “We’ve known the team at Recycling Lives for a number of years now and have always admired the fantastic work of their social enterprise and charity. When they asked us if we’d like to be part of their success story we jumped at the chance. Working together we’ve achieved great things at the Preston plant, so it’s wonderful to think that by making this donation our partnership will now extend to supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.” 

Alasdair Jackson, chief executive of Recycling Lives UK charity, adds: “We’re incredibly proud of the work we do at Recycling Lives but we cannot do it alone – businesses like TOMRA supporting our work are critical to our success. Just as they have supported the work of the business, working closely with our engineers to develop recycling equipment, their generous donation supports the work of our charity. We’re incredibly grateful for their support, which will help us to change many more lives for the better.”

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