More than 200,000 end-of-life water meters have now been processed through a sustainable recycling route developed by M Group, marking a major milestone in a programme that could ultimately support the disposal of up to four million meters during AMP8.

The programme was developed following the mobilisation of M Group’s AMP8 (2025-2030) smart meter programme for Yorkshire Water and Netmore, which will see around 1.4 million meters replaced over five years.

• More than 200,000 meters have already been processed through the new recycling route
• The solution was developed following 12 months of engagement with more than 40 recycling and disposal companies
• M Group expects up to four million meters to require sustainable disposal across its UK metering programmes during AMP8
• The process supports M Group’s zero-landfill ambition by recovering plastics, metals and other valuable materials
• End-of-life water meters can be difficult to dispose of because they contain a complex mix of materials, including encapsulated lithium batteries.

Teams from across M Group’s Water and Transport businesses worked together to identify a safe, compliant and sustainable solution – with M Group’s expertise across a broad range of sectors proving invaluable on a project of this scale. Following a year-long review involving more than 40 organisations, M Group selected Yorkshire-based specialist Areera to process the meters.

The process enables component materials to be recovered and reused, including plastics and ferrous and non-ferrous metals, while also creating opportunities to recover small quantities of precious and finite materials from printed circuit boards.

Liam Saddler, Smart Network Delivery Director at M Group, said:

“Reaching 200,000 meters is a significant milestone and demonstrates that we now have a sustainable solution capable of supporting much larger volumes during AMP8.

“The challenge was to find an approach that was safe, compliant and practical while also delivering better environmental outcomes. By bringing expertise together from across M Group and working closely with our supply chain, we have created a solution that can now be scaled across our metering programmes.”

The programme is being developed to handle increasing volumes, with automation, robotics and AI all being explored to improve processing capacity and data capture.

Craig Thompson of Areera said:

“Water meters present a particular recycling challenge because of the mix of materials and encapsulated batteries involved.

“Working with M Group, we have developed an approach that moves away from traditional e-waste disposal and focuses on recovering as much value as possible from each meter. We are proud that a solution with the potential to support programmes across the UK has been developed here in Yorkshire.”

Across M Group’s UK metering programmes, between three and four million meters are expected to require sustainable disposal during AMP8.