Midland Heart
Managed 1000+ tonnes of waste
Achieved 99.41% landfill diversion
Recycled 79.65% of all waste
Reconomy Connect is proud to have partnered with Midland Heart, a leading not-for-profit housing association that manages over 34,000 homes across the Midlands. Awarded through the Procurement for Housing (PfH) framework, the contract commenced in 2025, with services mobilised in August 2025 to support the management of all waste generated by Midland Heart’s direct labour teams.
The project
This partnership has enabled the full centralisation of waste management through the use of the Reconomy Portal. The Portal is the industry-leading reporting platform that provides a complete audit trail on all waste management activities, giving Midland Heart a clear picture of the waste and complete transparency and peace of mind. It eliminates the need for paper-based processes through a fully digital solution and provides complete transparency for the entire waste journey. Services include direct tipping, skip provision, hazardous waste disposal, and facilities support.
The Reconomy Tipping App was also introduced to further enhance compliance and accessibility. The Tipping App uses the latest geo-fencing technology to access Reconomy’s large network of over 1500 tipping locations and optimise route planning. This enabled the use of tipping locations local to Midland Heart sites, preventing unnecessary travel of materials into central Birmingham or further afield, saving time while also minimising the fleet’s carbon footprint and fuel costs.
Working collaboratively, both organisations have introduced improved ways of working across Midland Heart hubs, driving better segregation at source, increasing recycling rates, and reducing waste to landfill. Regular review meetings ensure continuous improvement and innovation as both parties progress towards zero waste goals.
Timber segregation was also specifically introduced to reduce the volume of general waste created. Larger capacity skips were introduced to help reduce skip turnaround, leading to fewer vehicles on site and lower transport emissions. As part of the PfH agreement, Reconomy Connect provides an additional 0.5% of invoice value to support social value projects organised by this framework.
Results
The project’s focus was on implementing change and shifting mindsets by forging strong relationships in working groups. The Tipping App and the Portal are key drivers of this, creating improvements in data management and efficiency.
From the start of mobilisation in August 2025 to July 2026, Reconomy Connect managed 1097.497 tones of Midland Heart’s waste, with 99.41% diverted from landfill and 79.65% recycled. This directly contributes to their overall goals relating to material recovery and recycling.
Midland Heart have adapted well to the changes in operation that ensure waste intensity is reduced and recovery is increased. By fully digitising waste management processes, Midland Heart has achieved reduced disposal costs, improved recycling rates and a clear mindset shift.
Midland Heart Operations Manager, Samantha Farries, said:
“Over the first 12 months of our partnership with Reconomy Connect, we’ve seen benefits that go far beyond value for money. Better visibility of our waste management activities has helped us work more efficiently, reduce waste sent to landfill and support our wider sustainability goals, creating cleaner, greener communities for our tenants.
Just as importantly, Reconomy Connect has worked closely with us to understand the way we operate and the needs of the communities we serve. Their collaborative approach has helped us develop practical solutions that improve services on the ground, ensuring we can continue investing resources where they make the biggest difference to our tenants and neighbourhoods.”