Change of name for Merseyside Disposal Authority

As reported by letsrecycle.comin July(see letsrecycle.com story), the authority has been rethinking its approach to waste and wanted to reflect this in its branding.

Cllr Joe De Asha, chairperson of the Authority, explained: Our new name reflects the changing nature of waste management, the emphasis on more sustainable methods of waste management, the move to a Low Carbon Economy and the new Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy objectives moving away from purely disposal of waste and changing to one which better reflects the resources management and recycling functions that the organisation now undertakes.

However, a spokeswoman for the authorityexplained that, while its public-facing name had changed,the Authoritywould remain a statutory waste disposal authority for legal reasons, This is because it was established by the Waste Regulation and Disposal (Authorities) Order 1985 and to change it another law would be needed.

The Authority is responsible for the management of municipal waste collected by the five constituent councils of Merseyside – Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpoolor or delivered to one of the Authority’s household waste recycling centres.

As well as amending its corporate identity to reflect the new name, the Authority will be adding in a new aspiration for its work Merseyside – a place where nothing is wasted that will be used as part of the branding.

The change in the Authoritys name was approved by elected members at a meeting on November 18. While the name change will be reflected immediately in is digital communications, the Authority said it would be rolled out across other platforms in phases so we get the most from our existing stationery supplies, signage and other non-digital public facing communications.

Change

Carl Beer, chief executive of the Authority, told letsrecycle.com: “This signifies a change in direction for the Authority.Weexpecttohave completed our three main contracts – covering landfill, recycling and residual waste recovery -by next year and will be doing a lot more work around behavioural change, reuse and waste prevention.”

Mr Beer said the MWDA expected to announced the preferred bidder for its PFI-funded residual waste treatment contract around April/May 2012, with the contract awared in the Autumn. In November 2009 the shortlist of bidders was cut down to just two companies – SITA UK and Covanta (see letsrecycle.com story).