Kent-based paper recycling company Aylesford Newsprint has handed waste management company Greensolve a five-year contract to collect paper from the it's 300 paper banks in East Kent.

The contract, which is for an undisclosed amount, will make the Tonbridge-based company responsible for collections at all Aylesford's 1100 litre banks in the region.

The banks are located at public sites, including schools, charities, commercial businesses and other organisations.

Under the deal, Greensolve is set to collect from a wide range of sites throughout East Kent, including Folkestone, Dover, Ramsgate, Whitstable, Margate, Canterbury, Maidstone, Ashford, New Romney, Deal and Lydd, from where all of the paper collected will be delivered directly to Aylesford's Maidstone mill.

The deal is expected to cater for 1,200 tonnes of paper annually, totaling 6,000 tonnes over the course of the contract.

Richard Booth, commercial director of Greensolve, said: "We're very happy to have been awarded this prestigious contract which gives us a long-term relationship with Aylesford Newsprint and is an extension of our existing recycling activities. This service ensures long-term recycling options for all sectors of the community."

Aylesford, which is a joint venture company between SCA Forest Products and Mondi Company, currently recycles 500,000 tonnes per annum of used newspapers and magazines in the manufacture of Renaissance, a 100% recycled newsprint.