Waste collection specialist Verdant Group plc has won its first contract since being acquired by Irish-owned waste processing firm Greenstar last month.

Alternate weekly collections of waste and recycling are to be rolled out gradually in Stratford-on-Avon from next year.

The firm has been awarded a seven-year contract to collect waste and recycling from over 52, 000 household in Stratford-on-Avon, with the option for a seven year extension.

The deal will see Verdant taking over waste and recycling collections in August 2008 and Stratford-on-Avon district council will also pay the firm to continue the street cleansing services it already provides in the area.

Despite being taken over by Greenstar UK last month (see letsrecycle.com story), Verdant will still operate under the same name, as it has already built up a reputation in the municipal sector.

Simon Miles, Verdant Group managing director, said: "We've enjoyed a strong relationship with Stratford-on -Avon through our street cleansing service, and are delighted to be awarded the larger contract. Integrating all operational aspects of street cleansing, waste and recycling will achieve important efficiencies and economies of scale, and our local knowledge and proven expertise in helping local authorities raise their environmental standards will be put to good use in the district."

Collections

At present, Stratford-on-Avon council runs weekly collections of residual waste in black sacks alongside fortnightly collections of waste cans, paper, glass and textiles in black boxes and fortnightly collections of green waste. This has enabled the council to achieve a 40% recycling rate in 2006/07.

Under the new contract, however, residents will have three wheeled bins; one for fortnightly collections of residual waste (grey bin), one for fortnightly collections of recyclable materials now including card and plastic and a green bin for fortnightly collections of green waste. It is hoped this will help Stratford exceed its government target of recycling at least 45% of its waste by 2015.

To help make this move to alternate weekly collections easier for residents, food waste will continue to be collected on a weekly basis, at the same time as the other collections, and there will be a major education programme to help explain the new services.

The service will also include collection of recyclables from the council's 9 mini recycling centres across the district. Verdant will deploy nearly 100 staff and 37 vehicles, administered from the Avenue Farm Road depot.

Councillor Simon Jackson, Stratford-on-Avon's portfolio holder for the environment, said: "The new contract will mean a slight change for service users but we have listened to what residents want and that is to maintain a weekly collection. We've been able to do that by having food waste removed weekly."

"Throughout our consultations with residents they wanted food waste collected weekly and high on their agenda was to introduce a kerbside plastic and cardboard recycling services and that's what we are proposing to so at a reduced cost. e new service will save residents over £400,000 annually. We want to achieve excellence in service standards and delivery, and are confident that Verdant will help us reach this goal," he added.

Mr Miles said: "This has been a momentous year for Verdant as we started five new contracts during 2007, and recently joined forces with Greenstar UK to expand our service offering for the municipal market. It's a crowning achievement to be awarded the Stratford-on-Avon contract."