Biffa awarded £56m waste contract in Wokingham

The contract is set to come into effect on 1 June 2026 and will run for an initial eight years, with the option to extend it for a further eight.

It will include street cleansing and a new fleet of collection vehicles.

Councillor Katrin Harding, executive member for environment and climate emergency, said: “Our new contract is part of our commitment to improving services for residents and delivering on our climate and community goals.

“The council has secured a contract which provides high-quality, environmentally-minded and fairly-priced services for the borough’s residents.

“We look forward to working with Biffa as we begin the rollout of the new contract and delivering a smooth transition for residents next June. We will continue to update residents with further information over the coming year.”

The current contract was awarded to Veolia in 2011.

The change in contractor is not currently set to result in any changes to services or collection times.

Waste and recycling will continue to be collected on alternate weeks, using existing wheeled bins or blue bags for rubbish, and green reusable bags for recycling.

Food waste will continue to be collected weekly in the smaller black caddies.

Residents will now be able to book garden waste sack collections online, and subscribers to garden waste collections will no longer require annual stickers on their bins.

The street cleansing service includes street sweeping, litter collection, fly-tipping removal, and graffiti removal.

The council said that a key focus of the contract will be supporting carbon reductions.

Steve Cole, managing director at Biffa Municipal, said: “As the UK leader in sustainable waste management, our partnership with local authorities across the UK drives positive change, helping people waste less and recycle more, with all the environmental and economic benefits that brings.

“We’re delighted that our new partnership with Wokingham Borough Council will provide residents with a market leading service, while supporting the council’s climate and sustainability strategies and our own commitments to social value and community engagement.”