The site was built as a replacement for a previous centre at Chalkstone Way.
The council said that it has already received 11,000 customer bookings – exceeding the 8,000-booking capacity of the old site. Physically, it is 3.5 times bigger than the old centre.
The new site includes a raised platform to give visitors an elevated position from which to safely dispose of waste – removing the need for steps. It also includes a one-way system and easy-to-use layout, allowing customers to access clearly marked recycling bays.
The project sees Suffolk county council and FCC Environment continue to work as part of the Suffolk Waste Partnership with West Suffolk council. The Homefield Road site is operated by FCC Environment, which manages all of Suffolk’s 11 recycling centres.
Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk county council’s cabinet member for transport strategy, planning and waste, said: “What a success the new site has been – with the number of bookings already outstripping what the old site could handle.
“With plenty more capacity available, the site is prepared for even more visitors as the local population increases, and more people choose to recycle at such a convenient and easy-to-use facility.
“The council remains committed to its ambition of protecting and enhancing the environment. Of course, we encourage people not to generate waste in the first place, by reusing or making different choices about the products they use. But for the recyclable waste that people do have, the new Haverhill site makes the process easy and convenient.”
Chris Ellis, operations director of waste and recycling division at FCC Environment, added: “FCC Environment operates around 100 Recycling Centres up and down the country optimising recycling and reducing waste as we move towards a more circular economy but when a facility has been designed around not just the needs of residents but also operating efficiencies, it makes our job that much easier.
“The council, our teams and the contractors involved in this project have done an amazing job in getting this centre open and operational.
“We have been welcoming visitors from Haverhill and the local area for a couple of months now and we are told daily how impressed people are with the new facility and how simple and safe it is to drive in, drop off and drive out.”
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