Located at the Energy-from-Waste facility in Great Blakenham, the centre aims to educate visitors about sustainability and waste reduction by showing how everyday rubbish is turned into energy.
The facility processes household waste to generate electricity, producing enough energy to power around 50,000 homes each year.
The interactive visitor centre is now open (Image: Supplied) Chris Chambers, cabinet member for transport strategy, planning and waste at Suffolk County Council, said: “The new visitor centre stands as a symbol of what’s possible through long-term collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to community education.
“I think local schools and community groups will love their visit when they experience the innovative hands-on demonstrations, interactive games and new educational tools.”
The centre is the result of a partnership between Suffolk County Council and SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, which has operated the Energy-from-Waste facility for a decade.
It replaces the original cardboard visitor centre, which has now been recycled.
The visitor centre is located at Energy-from-Waste facility in Great Blakenham (Image: Supplied) Tim Otley, managing director of energy at SUEZ, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of Suffolk’s new visitor centre.
“During the build and fitout, we have reused, repurposed and reclaimed items to maximise the centre’s green credentials.
“Together with Suffolk County Council, we have welcomed over 12,000 visitors in our first ten years of operations here at Great Blakenham and our team look forward to welcoming thousands more over the next decade of our partnership.”
The centre is now taking bookings from schools and community groups across the county.
Mr Chambers believes the timing of the launch is ideal, given upcoming changes to national recycling schemes.
He said: “With the new Simpler Recycling changes on the horizon, the new centre has opened at the perfect time to empower people of all ages to better understand their role in reducing, reusing, and creating a more sustainable future for Suffolk, and beyond.”