According to a tender document, the deal is worth an estimated £9 million over the course of the entire deal.
Northern Irish waste management company Bryson Recycling has worked with Conwy since 2014, when they first won a contract to manage the local authority’s two HWRCs in Abergele and Mochdres.
The new joint contract, due to begin on 1 April, will see them increase their operations in North Wales as they take on the management of three more sites in Denbighshire, at Rhyl, Denbigh, and Ruthin.
Currently, the Denbighshire sites are managed by Welsh waste firm CAD Recycling.
We are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with both councils
– Gareth Walsh, general manager at Bryson Recycling
Gareth Walsh, general manager at Bryson Recycling, said “We are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with both councils and are looking forward to introducing our social enterprise approach to recycling across all five sites with the aim of increasing recycling and reuse whilst providing an excellent service to local residents.
“We are also keen to look at innovative ways to engage and work with local communities.”
Bryson Recycling claims to be the largest social enterprise provider of recycling services in the UK, and says it processes recycling collected from 50% of Northern Irish homes, as well as managing HWRCs in Donegal and Wales.
DIY/construction waste
Bryson Recycling will now be able to charge visitors to the sites for DIY/construction waste and retain the income.
While Conwy has charged visitors for non-household waste since 2017/18, Denbighshire has not previously done so.
The items Conwy residents must pay to dispose of at HWRCs include rubber, plasterboard, wood and timber, asbestos, tyres, and plastic window frames, among other things.
Denbighshire county council minutes from September note the local authority’s belief that it would be “beneficial” for the council and residents to introduce “reasonable” charges for “certain” non-household waste brought to HWRCs, though they expect a “negative reaction” from residents.
Conwy
Representing a population of nearly 120,000, Conwy county borough council had a household waste recycling rate of 70% in the 2020/21 financial year.
I fully support this joint contract which will secure the service at a sustainable cost level
– Councillor Greg Robbins, cabinet member for environment and transportation at Conwy County borough council
As well as managing the region’s two HWRCs since 2014, Bryson Recycling won a contact to provide Conwy residents with a household garden waste collection service in 2019.
Commenting on the new deal, councillor Greg Robbins, cabinet member for environment and transportation at Conwy County borough council said: “I fully support this joint contract which will secure the service at a sustainable cost level and also improve the access to the service to residents living in both counties, who can now use the nearest facility rather than having to travel to an ‘in county’ one.
“This results in a carbon reduction benefit for some users.”
Denbighshire
Denbighshire has an estimated population of close to 100,000 and a recycling rate of 65% in 2020/21.
Councillor Brian Jones, lead member for waste, transport and the environment at Denbighshire county council, said of the new contract: “Working together with Conwy council to appoint a single operator has enabled us to provide value for money for our residents as the management costs have reduced.
“We know the recycling centres are very popular with our residents and we receive many compliments about the staff that work there.
“The site staff, currently managed by CAD Recycling Ltd, will transfer to the new operator, meaning residents will still receive the same high standard of service they are used to, but will also benefit from new investment in our facilities.”
Cllr Jones also said he was “delighted” includes “more green initiatives”, such as the vailability of free compost to site users and support of reuse projects.
Dry recyclate
Meanwhile, Denbighshire county council has also awarded Shotton Mill Ltd a contract worth £1.5 million for the sorting, processing, and recycling of commingled dry recyclate, as highlighted in a contract award notice published in December.
The contract began in July 2021 and lasts for 18 months with the possibility of a 12-month extension.
Shotton Mill had already fulfilled a two-year contract extended by six months with the council, and the new deal started as the previous one ended.
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