Who are we?
Lancashire Renewables is the company owned by Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council which operates the two waste recovery plants in Lancashire. Eco Town is based in the Environmental Education Centre at Farington Waste Recovery Park.
What do we do?
We receive, treat and transport municipal waste for Lancashire. Our aim is to achieve a sustainable future for Lancashire by providing services to process biodegradable and non biodegradable household waste.
Types of waste
The waste that we receive includes residual (“black bin bag”) waste as well as kerbside collected recycling materials.
Eco Town is fully accessible, but when booking advise us of any special requirements you might need.
Education Room
The education room is a space you can utilise to break into smaller groups, use as a presentation space and leave your belongings securely. You can have a go on a working example of both the MRF conveyors and trommel.
The Walkway
The Walkway consists of 3 zones and will take approximately two and half hours to complete covering nearly a kilometre. There are a number of interactive elements as well as quizzes and videos to watch.
Outdoor Classroom
In the warmer months we have an auditorium that can be used as a presentation space, as well as containing information about our solar farm and wildlife area. There is also a covered seated area for shade.
FAQs
Before you book
No there is no entry fee. Eco Town is free to all visitors who meet the eligibility criteria.
The walkway is suitable for ages 7+.
We advise allowing between 2 to 2.5 hours for the tour. The walkway through the waste facility is just under a 1km round trip and the visit includes three 3 different districts with a range of interactive elements along the route.
We have a minimum group size of 5, however for groups smaller than this please contact eco.town@lancashirerenewables.co.uk.
We want everyone to have the opportunity to experience Eco Town. However as we are a working waste facility, visitor safety is our top priority. Please see the group size guidelines:
- Total Capacity: Maximum of 40 visitors
- Walkway Capacity: Maximum of 20 visitors per tour
For groups larger than 20, we recommend booking a full day visit. This allows us to split your group into two: one group can complete the walkway tour in the morning while the other uses the classroom space, then they switch in the afternoon.
Alternatively, you may choose to book two separate days to accommodate each group individually.
For groups requiring supervision, required staff-to-participant ratios must be maintained, not including Eco Town staff. Please note that the maximum group capacity includes all support or supervisory staff.
For wheelchair users or visitors with mobility difficulties, we have dedicated parking spaces located outside the reception. Our reception and classroom areas are on the ground floor, and there is a lift available to access the first floor where the tour begins.
Please note we have one evacuation chair at each of the emergency exit stairwells. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please contact eco.town@lancashirerenewables.co.uk
We kindly ask that you book in advance, providing a minimum of 10 working days’ notice. If your booking enquiry falls within this period, please contact us directly so our team can review your request.
Tours operate Monday – Friday 9:30am to 2:30pm. If you are unable to attend during these hours and would like to book alternative times, please contact us at eco.town@lancashirerenewables.co.uk and we will review your request to see if we are able to accommodate it.
Preparing for your visit
We have worked with Lancashire Teaching Consultants to develop curriculum aligned activities and materials for KS2-4; these will be available to you once a booking has been confirmed. You can view a sample of these on our resources page.
We also have a range of additional resources available, including colouring sheets, wordsearches, labelling activities and fact-finding worksheets to support learning during the visit.
We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes, as the walkway does include some slight inclines. Visitors are not required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
We have a vending machine in the reception area as well as a hot drinks machine.
Once the tour starts, there won’t be the opportunity to stop for refreshments. However there is a water fountain at the halfway point, so we recommend visitors to bring a reusable water bottle with them. If you would like to bring lunch, we have a basic kitchen area with sinks and worktop space available for use.
There is a designated coach bay and four disabled parking spaces located outside reception. Please note that the car park operates a one-way system, and vehicles must reverse into the parking spaces.
On The Day
Yes, photography for personal use is allowed during the visit. However, we kindly ask that you do not take pictures of our staff members.
You can bring personal items on the tour however, we do advise keeping them to a minimum. A storage rack is available in the classroom for coats and bags, which will be locked during the tour. Please note that all personal belongings remain your responsibility and are left at your own risk.
Toilet facilities are available next door to the classroom, but there are none along the tour route. We encourage all visitors to use the facilities before the tour begins.
Our knowledgeable tour guides will lead your visit, and all hold current DBS clearance for your peace of mind.
Book your group visit
If your residual waste is collected by Lancashire County Council or Blackpool Council, then your group is eligible to visit Eco Town.
We welcome all Lancashire based schools, further education, higher education, community groups, local councils, business and Lancashire residents.
Get started