Sellafield waste firm to set up surplus food charity

A new charity to help tackle food poverty in Cumbria is being set up as part of a deal to recycle waste from the Sellafield nuclear site.

Preston-based Recycling Lives has won a £150,000 contract to process waste metal from the Sellafield site, which is being decommissioned.

The deal will see several centres set up to distribute surplus food that would otherwise be sent to landfill.

They will be operated on behalf of the national food charity Fareshare.

Martin Chown, Sellafield Ltd's supply chain director, said: "We want to ensure our local communities derive maximum economic benefit from the money we spend at Sellafield.

"We do this by insisting that companies that win work with us invest to support local growth."

Recycling Lives will base its processing facility in Workington, but will establish food distribution centres at a number of locations throughout Cumbria.

Managing director William Fletcher said: "We are pleased to be able to use this contract to create social value across Cumbria.

"The food redistribution service diverts surplus food from manufacturers, suppliers and supermarkets, that would otherwise go to landfill, and distributes it to charities and community groups in deprived areas.

"We are working with local authorities to identify collection points throughout Allerdale and Copeland."