What we do

Built in the 1960s in response to Dublin’s housing crisis, Ballymun was created to house up to 20,000 people in state-of-the-art high-rise flats. A close-knit community developed which, although located on the edge of the city, did not have adequate services such as transport, health services, shops or social and recreational facilities and so the new town experienced serious social, economic and environmental issues. Rediscovery Centre was established in 2004 as a direct response to these challenges, supported by Ballymun Regeneration Ltd., which was one of the largest urban regeneration projects ever delivered in Europe.  

During the regeneration, ongoing public consultation and community engagement identified an opportunity for people to manage their waste resources better, and to reimagine waste into something of value. The need to provide employment and training opportunities for local people was also highlighted, and so, Rediscovery Centre was born.

Recognising that for the new community to thrive, the physical transformation needed to be accompanied by social, economic and environmental development, and so Rediscovery Centre set to work. Public education to build community awareness and develop Ballymun as an environmental sustainability example was core to the centre’s approach. Pilot projects demonstrating excellence in waste prevention, reuse and recycling began, and the centre became an accredited Discover Science Centre. Social enterprises in furniture, fashion and paint were established, contributing to the development of environmentally sustainable businesses and providing training and employment opportunities. 

In 2016 we reached the point in our history that brought us all under one roof. Our present-day innovation hub is in the refurbished Boiler House, which was initially developed in the 1960s for the district heating system which serviced the tower blocks in Ballymun and provided 3,000 homes with underfloor heating and hot water. When the flats were demolished in the mid 2000s, the plan was to demolish the Boiler House too. Rediscovery Centre, along with Dublin City Council and the Government of Ireland, stepped in and, with help from the European Commission’s LIFE programme, saved the Boiler House as part of the WISER (Working with Industrial Spaces to Exemplify Reuse) LIFE project.

WISER LIFE saw the old Boiler House transformed into an educational space showcasing excellence in building reuse, low-carbon construction and sustainable development. This remarkable project led to the development of the centre as Europe’s first 3D textbook, showcasing the extraordinary examples of what can be done when waste is seen as an opportunity rather than a burden. As part of the project, Rediscovery Centre was supported by the Government of Ireland and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the National Centre for the Circular Economy.

The opening of the repurposed Boiler House in 2017 was a turning point, enabling the centre to centralise operations in addition to establishing the National Centre for the Circular Economy. With additional support and strategic partnerships, the centre expanded and the team grew. The combination of the bigger team and the new centre significantly increased our impact and by 2021 in-person and online environmental education, training and events, were engaging with over 75,000 people. We’ve been growing ever since. 

Recognising the centre’s role as an advocate in Ireland and Europe for the circular economy, the research and policy department grew further to facilitate research and analysis on priority areas. A Circular Economy Academy was launched as a free, nationwide mentoring and support programme. A nationwide education programme was also established, providing workshops throughout the country and the Paint Reuse Network was also set up further enabling communities to move towards sustainability and embrace the circular economy.