LMB wins textile bank contract with seven boroughs

Under the four-year deal, the London-based recycler will provide, maintain and collect textiles from a network of bring banks in seven boroughs across the capital. Once collected, the material will be sorted at the firms facility in Newham before being exported for reuse.

The contract is with seven London councils. Lewisham is the lead authority on the contract and the other councils are: Barnet; Camden; Ealing; Harrow; Hounslow; and Sutton.

LMB beat off nine other organisations for the project. It was decided that LMB was the most advantageous tender; with the contract award weighting based 60% on financial proposals, 13% on technical ability, 13% on quality and operational competency, 11% on service development, 2% on environment and sustainability and 1% on health and safety.

Textile banks

LMB already works with a number of the councils involved in the framework agreement and said it is in the process of designing the branding for the textile banks which are to be rolled out in the seven boroughs. Depending on contractual arrangements, some of the councils will leave existing charity banks and commercial contracts in place, and will instead add additional textile banks.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com today (March 27) Ross Barry, business development manager at LMB said the firm was hoping to gain funding from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) or LWaRB to develop the branding.

Commenting on the contract, Mr Barry added: From our point of view we are really pleased that we have been awarded the contract. Obviously we are a London company so its good to get the London contract. It will hopefully create more jobs in London as well.

Some of the boroughs we already work with and thats not going to be too difficult and some of the others are new to us so we will be working with them to get the banks out.

Mr Barry added: The textiles are all going back to our plant in Newham where there are sorted by our army of sorters where they are divided for reuse and recycling.

Charities

Textile recycling charity TRAID had previously raised concerns about the impact the contract could have on charities (see letsrecycle.com story) but Lewisham council said this was not the case.

Councillor Susan Wise, cabinet member for customer services at Lewisham council, said: This new framework is not intended to replace the way residents already choose to reuse and recycle their unwanted textiles as those in good condition and fit for resale should be donated to charity. This framework is about ensuring that those textiles that can’t are recycled and reused producing both social and environmental benefits.

The procurement process was originally launched by London Councils and the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWaRB) last year (see letsrecycle.com story).