The incoming supplier, which has not yet been publicly named, was selected ahead of two other bidders following a procurement process for the next generation of the Joint Waste Solutions (JWS) contract.
The new agreement is expected to begin in June 2027 and could potentially run until 2048, subject to approval by councillors at the four existing authorities and the incoming cabinets of Surrey’s two new unitary councils.
Procurement documents place the total value of the contract at around £720 million.
Interested parties were required to submit expressions of interest by August 2025.
Amey confirmed to letsrecycle.com that it did not participate in the procurement and said the decision reflects a broader strategic shift away from waste collections.
The procurement process began before Surrey’s local government reorganisation was agreed and has therefore continued on the basis of the existing Joint Waste Solutions partnership, which began in 2017.
The contract will continue to cover Surrey Heath, Woking, Elmbridge and Mole Valley, despite those councils ultimately becoming part of two new unitary authorities.
The Joint Waste Solutions contract management function will also remain in place to support the four areas, which will in future be represented by the two new councils.
Other Surrey collection arrangements are unaffected by the procurement.
Epsom and Ewell and Reigate and Banstead will continue to provide services in-house, while Tandridge will continue under its existing contract with Biffa.
Amey continues retreat from waste sector
The decision not to bid marks another step in Amey’s gradual withdrawal from the municipal waste collection market.
Historically one of the UK’s largest providers of local authority waste and environmental services, the company has increasingly focused on its core infrastructure, transport and engineering operations.
In 2021, environmental services company Urbaser acquired six waste management contracts from Amey with a combined annual portfolio value of more than £30 million.
The company confirmed that waste collection is no longer part of its core business strategy.
Heat causes collection pressures
The contract announcement comes as residents across the Joint Waste Solutions area continue to experience disruption to waste and recycling collections during the recent spell of hot weather.
Amey has attributed delays in several areas to the impact of high temperatures, with the heat placing additional strain on vehicle hydraulics and prompting crews to begin collection rounds earlier than usual.
In Elmbridge, the company also cited changes to tipping routes, while Mole Valley said replacement vehicles and increased staffing are expected to improve reliability.
The contractor has also reported disruption as it catches up on previous work, with missed collections affecting both council areas.
Vehicle reliability has been another factor, with breakdowns contributing to missed collections in Mole Valley and disrupting some food waste rounds in Surrey Heath.
Meanwhile, in Woking, Amey said several recycling collections could not be completed because of the volume of waste presented for collection.
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