Sunderland councillors have approved a planning application to modernise the Household Waste Recycling Centre at Campground, Wrekenton.
The decision will see the current centre, which is 25 years old, made more efficient and user-friendly.
The centre allows residents to drop-off waste for recycling - from small electrical items, garden waste and timber to DIY materials and rubble.
The centre will be made bigger, have a roof put on to shelter users, have more containers and a new one-way road system. All of which should make a trip to recycle materials at Campground a lot safer, easier and quicker.
There will be separate areas for cars and service vehicles to reduce service disruption. Currently there are often traffic queues caused by the centre having to close whilst wagons empty containers. More containers and better signs will also mean more waste can be recycled, more easily.
Colin Huntington, head of waste services and grounds maintenance at Gateshead Council, said: “The new centre will be a great facility for our residents and help us in our quest to boost recycling rates to 50% by 2020.”