98% of riverside centre materials to be recycled as demolition nears completion

Shropshire Council, alongside development partners RivingtonHark and demolition specialists Cawarden, have published a brochure showcasing how the different types of material from the former Riverside shopping centre will be recycled – with the goal of recycling 98% of the materials used in the old shopping centre.

The brochure explains how metals, wood and concrete are sorted on site and recycled. This includes plans for some of the concrete aggregate from the demolition to be used in the construction of the new Smithfield Riverside development, meaning that parts of the Riverside Centre will form the foundations of new buildings on the site.

Also highlighted are some of the more unusual elements to be recycled, and the brochure includes a feature on Shrewsbury’s Men’s Shed group, who are repurposing the shopping centre’s urinals to create a compost toilet for their home at Frankwell Showground!

Shrewsbury Men’s Shed

Demolition contractors Cawarden have been on site since last August (2024), and footage from the council’s timelapse camera – as well as the view from Frankwell footbridge – shows the site now almost empty. One small corner of the former shopping centre remains, with the demolition on track to complete over the next few weeks.

The name of the new park is also expected to be revealed next month, following an online vote in which more than 1,500 people chose their favourite from a shortlist of suggestions.

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Deputy Leader, said:

“It’s great to see Smithfield Riverside proceeding on schedule, and we’ve been really proud of our commitment to sustainability throughout the project. Working closely with RivingtonHark and Cawarden, we’ve been able to ensure that almost all of the materials in the old shopping centre are recycled, and we’ll even be reusing some of them right here in Shrewsbury, including in the development itself.”