Cyclife UK, Workington Facility
Cyclife UK facility, Metal Recycling Facility (MRF), is designed to support the United Kingdom's strategy on its management of low-level radioactive waste. The site is a nuclear and environmental licensed facility regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency (EA) " to be highlighted before "
- Location: Cyclife UK Ltd is located on a three-hectare nuclear licensed site in Cumbria, in the North West of England.
- Employees: 110-staff

Metal treatment
Cyclife UK process low level radioactive metals at the MRF by a range of innovative techniques including size reduction and shot-blasting.
The facility treats about 1,000 tons of radioactive waste a year and around 95% of those waste incomes are recycled.
The process involves the sorting and segregating, size and volume reduction of metallic waste with methods such as thermal and cold cutting, and if required, by shot blasting with steel shot that cleans the metals prior to recycling.
After they are treated, they are either recycled directly in the UK or recycled in other metal markets and the residues from treatment are disposed at the Low-Level Waste Repository.
Where necessary, Cyclife UK can utilise an approved waste route to its sister company in Sweden to access a wider range of treatment services.
This can include melting in Cyclife Sweden’s induction furnace or further treatment and handling of very large components.

Consultancy services
The Cyclife UK consultancy team offers a wealth of experience and knowledge through our highly skilled consultants who are specialists in their fields. We have successfully delivered radioactive waste management and technical solutions for clients across the UK, European and International Nuclear and NORM Industries. Our Consultants have also worked on strategic studies for major NDA sites to understand the risks and opportunities involved with radioactive waste management and disposal, to provide cost effective solutions for the management of the UK Nuclear Legacy. Our core skills include:
- Decommissioning Services (incl. Strategy Development & Implementation)
- Radiological Protection
- Waste Characterisation & Inventory Assessment
- Research & Development

Site Waste Services
The Cyclife UK Site Waste Services offering encompasses our expertise across all aspects of the decommissioning and waste management lifecycle, from feasibility studies, planning, and project management to practical dismantling work and the subsequent waste management and recycling. Cyclife UK extensive expertise allows us to provide an integrated service that can:
- Provide waste management and decommissioning support;
- Deliver decommissioning and waste management projects as a turn-key solution;
- Support existing on-site waste management facilities.
- Cyclife UK is able to mobilise experienced teams of radioactive waste management and decommissioning personnel to any location. These include Certificated Radiation Protection Advisers, Waste Officers, Waste Treatment Engineers, Radwaste Technicians and Health Physics Monitors. We also have in-house transport specialists and Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers.

Quality Certificates and Policies
Cyclife UK is certified to the International Standards for Quality, Safety and Environment:
- ISO 14001:2015
- ISO 45001:2018
- ISO 9001:2015
A single certificate is issued by our UKAS accredited body, LRQA: Cyclife UK International Standards Certificate that can be downloaded hereafter.
Find out more on Cyclife UK Tax Strategy 2019 in the UK.
Cyclife UK International Standards Certificate
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Cyclife UK International Standards Certificate PDF - 861.3 KB
Health and Safety SHEQS
Nuclear Safety, Security, Industrial Safety and Occupational Health are an absolute priority and we will maintain an appropriate level of security at our facilities.
Cyclife UK has a goal of ZERO harm and ZERO adverse effects, to achieve this we will apply our vision to all that we do and operate to an appropriate Standard and Culture. Cyclife UK recognises that superior Quality, Health, Safety, Environment and Security (QHSE&S) performance is necessary for excellence in business performance. Cyclife UK has established an integrated QHSE&S Policy statement signed by the Managing director and reviewed by the board which details our commitments.

Since 2020, Cyclife UK has been awarded the RoSPA Health and Safety Order of Distinction for three years consecutively.
Cyclife UK has also been awarded Disability Confident Employer:
Quality Health, Safety, Environment and Security Policy Statement
Environmental Permit and Waste Acceptance Criteria - WAC
Cyclife UK operators to an Environmental Permit (ZB3335DP) issued by the Environment Agency
With the permit the Environment Agency issues a supporting document (Compilation of Environment Agency Requirements - CEAR) which places additional conditions on Cyclife UK. The Permit and associated CEAR enables Cyclife UK to operate and Cyclife UK has established comprehensive arrangements to ensure compliance.
One of these arrangements is the Cyclife UK WAC. This document establishes detailed criteria for the acceptance and treatment of metallic and other wastes by Cyclife UK at the MRF. All wastes are subject to a Waste Acceptance Review (WAR) where waste is reviewed against Normal Operating Parameters (NOPs); these parameters are simple, usable and provide a robust basis for identifying metals that are treatable by Cyclife UK. Where waste is outside NOPs the WAR will consider acceptance and treatment in greater details.
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Cyclife UK Permit ZB3335DP PDF - 357.44 KB
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Cyclife UK Waste Acceptance Criteria PDF - 1.05 MB
Join us and Contact us
Join us - If you are interested in our industry and join us to work every day to create and implement responsible nuclear solutions for decommissioning, waste management including volume reduction and recycling material, take a look to our job offers.
Contact us:
- Switchboard: +44 (0) 1900 64903
- Sales contact: sales@cyclife-edf.co.uk
- Consultancy contact: consultancy@cyclife-edf.co.uk
- HR contact: hr@cyclife-edf.co.uk
- Accounts contact: accounts@cyclife-edf.co.uk
- Health and Safety (SHEQS) contact: sheqs@cyclife-edf.co.uk