At its meeting on Tuesday 30 June, Cabinet agreed an eight-year extension to maintain the existing service residents receive. The borough’s waste service performs strongly, with a recycling rate in the top third of local authorities in England and consistently low missed collections levels – with under 20 missed per 100,000.
The extension also supports a cleaner, greener and safer borough with a new environmentally friendly fleet of waste collection vehicles set to be introduced. From year two, the fleet will move to hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel, which can cut carbon emissions by more than 90 per cent and reduce other pollutants.
Due to come into effect in October 2027, the extension means there will be no changes to collection frequency, as weekly recycling and food waste collections and fortnightly waste collections will continue. This ensures a consistent and dependable service for households across the borough.
Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Leisure and Performance, Cllr Mark Wilson, said: “This is one of the most visible services we provide, and residents expect it to work well every day. Our waste service is performing strongly, with very low levels of missed collections and a good recycling rate.
“By extending the contract, we are protecting that reliability while investing in improvements for the future, including the vegetable oil fuelled, lower-emission vehicles. This gives residents confidence their service will stay consistent as we work towards a cleaner, greener borough.”
Serco Contract Manager, Ben Townsend, said: “Having been a trusted partner of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead since 2019, we are delighted to have been awarded this eight-year extension which enables us to build on the excellent service already provided to residents.
"The dedication and hard work of our crews and support teams have been key to our success, and we would like to pass on our sincere thanks and appreciation for their continued commitment to delivering these essential services.”
Work will also continue to prepare for new recycling requirements, including the future introduction of collections for flexi plastics such as food packaging, in line with national legislation.
This decision is subject to the standard call-in period.