Reuse & Recycle - Keynsham Recycling Hub

In 2019 and 2020, Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES) declared climate and nature emergencies, to provide the leadership to enable the area to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to prioritise the protection and enhancement of the natural environment and wildlife biodiversity.   B&NES’ reuse and recycling strategy and services are an integral part of this response, and SRA were tasked with designing a new ‘state of the art’ waste and recycling depot – the Keynsham Recycling Hub.

The scheme will consolidate public recycling, waste sorting and transfer, vehicle workshop, office and highways winter service facilities onto a single site.  The site layout and design of the buildings, coupled with the extensive PV array, rainwater harvesting, on-site attenuation and enhanced biodiversity contribute to what is an industry-leading development.

Recycling Leader

B&NES is already one of the national leaders in recycling, recycling almost 60% of household material collected from its residents .   The scheme at Pixash Lane aims to increase overall capacity to meet current and future demands, incorporating modern sorting equipment that will allow the local authority to recycle a greater range and tonnage of material than ever before.

Creative Optimisation

The layout has been developed to be as efficient as possible, requiring a creative solution to accommodate the various facilities and operational areas on a constrained site.   A key requirement in delivering the design solution was to understand all the operational processes, relationships, and requirements.  Having listened to the specific project needs, we worked with the client to challenge some of these aspirations and assumptions, honing and refining the brief.  The result is a scheme that optimises all material flows, minimises vehicle movements and avoids double-handling of materials.  The depot will achieve the maximum possible volume of recycled material while minimising waste.

Sustainable Future Proofing

Across the scheme, integration of sustainable solutions has been fundamental to the development of the design. Photovoltaic panels will allow much of the facility’s electricity demands to be generated on site, with ducting infrastructure for electric vehicle charging points also provided as the local authority look to decarbonise their fleet. Vehicle wash facilities will make use of rainwater harvesting to help reduce water consumption as part of a wider sustainable drainage strategy.  Further passive design measures are used throughout the scheme to further reduce the development’s carbon footprint.

The site is wrapped with an extensive landscaped buffer, providing strong green infrastructure corridors around the whole development.  These areas enhance on-site biodiversity through the creation of a variety of wildlife habitats, including a substantial wetland area, which also serves as part of the site-wide attenuation strategy.   

21st Century Facilities

The Reuse and Recycling Centre (RRC) will be the key public face of the scheme.  Located close to a key entrance for easy access, the facility will promote both increased recycling and reuse.  Split over two levels, the upper level will be used for recycling of larger materials and is covered by an extensive, PV-canopy.  The lower level provides a new reuse shop, encouraging members of the public to donate their unwanted items for resale, and promoting upcycling and repurposing of second-hand items bought in the shop. 

Adjacent to the RRC is a new office and workshop facility.  The new office and welfare facilities will provide the Waste & Environment Team with a new, efficient, and purpose-built base for their district operations.  The workshop will allow for in-house maintenance of all B&NES fleet vehicles, along with provision for public MOT tests.   

A key focus in the design of the offices and welfare facilities has been the management of the internal environment for the comfort of users and adaptable cooling in response to climate change. Carefully considered glazing arrangements and the use of brise soleil aim to prevent glare and overheating in summer, while enhanced thermal performance minimises heat loss in winter.

To the north of the site is the new main waste and recycling processing area – a Transfer Station for black bag and garden waste and Materials Recovery Facility for all kerbside-collected materials.  These will provide enhanced facilities that ensure more waste is diverted away from landfill. As with all the buildings, the material choice has been made to prioritise functionality and performance across the whole life cycle of the development.  Again, the roof area is used to provide a large PV array, maximising on-site energy generation.

Site works commenced in early 2022 and the project is being delivered in two phases, both programmed to complete in 2023.