Waste contract extension brings savings and enhanced services - New food waste collection from next year

New contract arrangements for the Royal Borough's waste collection services are expected to save council taxpayers at least £3m over the next seven years and introduce even better services - including a new weekly 'caddy' collection for food waste.

The council is to extend its current waste and allied services contract with Veolia Environmental Services after successful negotiations aimed at securing the best possible deal for local residents - with an anticipated £1.3million of savings in 2012/13 alone.

The extension not only secures significant savings - including a share of any profits from the future sale of recycling materials - but also embraces a list of 'extras' including the new organic waste collection. This will provide more than 61,000 homes with specially designed caddies for food waste, such as left-over meat and fish (including bones).

The caddies will be rolled out across the borough from February 2012, giving residents the chance to keep their food waste separate from the rubbish headed for landfill and help cut the ever increasing burden of landfill tax - nearly £400,000 over three years from 2012/13. The collected food waste will be taken away to be processed into compost, underlying the borough's commitment to the environment and sustainability.

The proposal to go ahead with the organics collection roll-out is on the agenda for the cabinet meeting on Thursday 25 August and, if agreed, it will herald yet another addition to the borough's waste offer to residents - on top of the pioneering recycling rewards scheme which has assisted the increase in recycling rates from 35% to 44% in a year. Indeed, the organics collection could feature rewards for residents under a new incentivisation framework also being considered by cabinet on Thursday.

Also on the cards as part of the extended contract are:
• an enhanced kerbside collection service that includes all plastics
• a new 21-vehicle collection fleet to cater for the borough's specific needs and
• the upgrade/refurbishment of local 'bring' sites across the borough.

The contract extension - worth around £35 million for up to seven years from 1 April 2012 - has been independently assessed by professional experts who concluded it 'provides the Council with a significantly improved financial deal'.

Cllr Phill Bicknell, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Environment, paid tribute to the Council's waste team for their clear-sighted determination to secure a quality, cost effective service for local taxpayers.

He said: "Over the past seven years of co-operative working with Veolia we have developed a tailored, responsive waste collection service that residents appreciate but we knew there was more to be achieved in terms of value for money and making every penny work.

"This deal is an excellent result for council taxpayers. It means we continue with a contractor who knows the area and its needs but who, in working closely with us, recognises that smarter working can cut costs and also bring about an even better service for local people."

Cllr Bicknell added: "Our annual residents' survey tells us that the Council's waste services are consistently valued by local people and we believe that the contract extension with Veolia will bring even better services at a much reduced cost. An all round winner for everyone!"

Tom Spaul, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Veolia Environmental Services, added: "We are delighted to have been awarded this landmark high profile contract which reflects our strong working relationship with the Royal Borough. In recent years this contract has become synonymous with innovation in recycling and waste management and we look forward to introducing further sustainable service improvements for local residents on behalf of the council and continuing to increase landfill diversion."

Notes:
*In the Royal Borough's 2009 residents' survey local people were asked about their satisfaction with council services. Refuse collection topped the ranking with a 90% satisfaction rating, doorstep recycling was second on 84% and local tips/household waste recycling centres fourth on 74%.

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