SITA UK, William Munro Construction (Highland) Ltd, David Ritchie & Sons Ltd and Locheil Logistics were selected to collect and treat refuse and recyclables in four council areas yesterday (October 2) for a period of three years.
The contract was put out to tender in June – seeking contractors for services required across four areas; Easter Ross, Inverness, Lochaber, and Badenoch and Strathspey.
SITA UK successfully bid for the Inverness lot – the most populous region of the Scottish Highlands – and will operate a waste transfer station within the city.
Recyclables
The deal, worth over £4.3 million, will see the company collect 31,000 tonnes of general waste per year, as well as 11,000 tonnes of dry mixed recyclables, 2,500 tonnes of food waste and a small amount of asbestos.
General waste collected under the contract will be sent to the nearby Stoney Hill landfill site, while recyclables will be sorted, baled and sent on to reprocessors on behalf of Highland council.
Meanwhile, William Munro Construction has been selected for the Easter Ross lot, worth just over £2.2 million.
The bid will see the company take charge of collection and transfer of 18,000 tonnes of residual waste in the area, to be deposited at the local authority landfill site at Seater in Caithness.
A spokeswoman for William Munro said the company was ‘delighted’ to have been chosen to continue to provide the service. The firm has also previously held the council contract for Inverness.
Lochaber
Elsewhere, Locheil Logistics Ltd was selected as winner of the £4.1 million Lochaber lot, which will see the firm collect and dispose of 7,500 tonnes of residual waste and 1,500 tonnes of mixed dry recyclables per year.
And, David Ritchie & Sons Ltd will provide the collection and transfer of 1,000 tonnes of mixed dry recyclables in Badenoch and Strathspey to a transfer station at Invergordon, under the fourth lot worth £225,000.
In a meeting in August, Highland council discussed ways to increase its recycling rate. It was decided more focus was needed on communication with residents via leaflets, bin stickers and information stands.
The council has also been working to improve controls placed on recycling centres, including a ban on the deposit of household waste associated with commercial or trade activities from April 2014, and a pilot launched at Alness in May to ensure site users segregate their recyclable and non-recyclable waste.
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