The improvements are part of a multi-million pound upgrade of recycling facilities throughout Northumberland and include better recycling facilities and improved lighting, which means the site can be open for longer during the winter months.

The refurbishment is part of a year-long £12million investment in upgrading or replacing 11 of the 13 HWRCs across the county and is part of an ambitious drive to ensure that just 8% of Northumberland’s waste is sent to landfill by 2012.

Visitors to the site will be able to recycle items including glass, plastic bottles, electrical items, garden waste, wood, rubble, engine oil, batteries, gas cylinders, textiles, cardboard, tyres, bric-a-brac and beverage cartons.

The improvements to the sites, which are operated by leading recycling and waste management company SITA UK, are part of the county council’s 28-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, which has secured £40.8m in government funding.

The improvement work has included creating better staff welfare facilities, improving site drainage, providing lighting to allow extended winter opening hours and enhancing the recycling facilities.

Richard Hinchcliffe, General Manager for SITA UK in Northumberland, said: “The completion of work at North Sunderland is the latest milestone in a programme of improvements that will eventually see all of Northumberland’s HWRCs brought up to an industry leading standard and underlines SITA UK’s commitment to increasing recycling rates in the county”.

Paul Jones, Head of Waste Management for Northumberland County Council, said: “I’d firstly like to thank the residents for their patience and understanding throughout the duration of the works. The improvements made at North Sunderland HWRC mean residents will now find it easier than ever to recycle their household waste. The investment demonstrates our commitment to establishing Northumberland as one of the greenest counties for waste in the UK by increasing recycling and reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill.”

Northumberland County Council has an excellent record for waste management and the high recycling rates combined with the energy recovery of residual waste means that by 2012 only 8% of the county’s municipal waste will be buried in landfill sites, exceeding national and European union targets.

Residents with any queries should contact SITA UK on 0191 217 3070 or Northumberland County Council on 01670 534047 or visit the county council’s website at www.northumberland.gov.uk.