Sharing and developing our R&D with the Hub network
On 5 February 2026, the ReStage Hub Network convened to review early research findings for the upcoming sector report. A central focus of the session was a new typology of activities for resource hubs, developed by cross-referencing UK case studies from our network with international models, primarily from the US. This framework aligns hub operations with the flow of the waste hierarchy. Having developed a typology of activities, the ReStage team has also developed a tool for hubs to be able to rate their maturity for each activity. Network members have kindly agreed to test this method to help develop a practical maturity rating tool, which will allow hubs to assess their own operational dimensions and contribute data to the final ReStage report.
The session also addressed the "Mega Hub" concept, exploring the feasibility of consolidating diverse resource activities into a single large-scale pilot as a future recommendation. The ReStage team shared their work on a literature review and members have kindly undertaken the task of peer-reviewing the draft literature review and providing detailed feedback on their individual case studies.
This collaborative input ensures that the report, scheduled for release in Spring/Summer 2026, is grounded in the practical expertise of the UK’s reuse specialists.
Key contributions from the network session:
Global Benchmarking: Reviewing a typology of hub activities based on shared UK and US case studies.
Maturity Rating Tool: Hub members are grading their own operations to test the report's assessment logic.
Mega Hub Strategy: Discussing the practicalities of grouping resource activities in a future large-scale pilot.
Collaborative Research: Strengthening the project bibliography and literature review through member peer-review.
A copy of the slides is available here
