Devon awards 26.5m HWRC contract to SITA

The waste management firm saw off competition from five other companies during the tendering process, agreeing the deal with the council on February 7. SITA UK will begin the new deal on May 1.

Under the deal, which has the option to be extended for a further four years, two of Devons recycling centres will not be run by SITA UK, including the Maclins Quarry site in South Molton, which will be operated by South Molton Recycle Ltd and Deepmoor, Torrington, which will be operated by Devon Waste Management Ltd.

Pinbrook Road

Currently SITA UK manages Devons new HWRC at Pinbrook Road in Exeter which opened in June 2011, where a recycling rate of 85% has been achieved. The council is looking to replicate this success across all of its recycling centres, which recycled 74% of waste in 2010/11.

Councillor Roger Croad, Devon county council cabinet member for environment, said: This is a positive announcement for Devon and were pleased to have SITA UK on board. Based on the companys impressive track record at our centre at Pinbrook, we will be keen for the whole county to benefit from the same level of service it has been providing in Exeter.

Where space allows, other centres in Devon will be able to accept more types of waste for recycling, such as carpets, mattresses and bulky plastics so that more items than ever can be recycled and diverted from landfill. The re-sale areas at larger centres will also offer an improved experience. The new contract includes targets which we will be keen for SITA UK to meet, so we will expect recycling rates at our centres to reach new record levels.

Across the 17 centres, SITA UK will handle around 85,000 tonnes of recycling each year.

Expertise

SITA UKs processing general manager for the south west James Pike, said: We are delighted to work alongside Devon county council and we look forward to sharing our expertise in recycling for the benefit of local residents. There is a lot of hard work ahead as we look to improve existing arrangements wherever possible, striving to make best use of each and every recycling centre, with an overriding focus on customer service.

We will also look to develop complementary services in the area by investing in a materials recycling facility in Exeter, and a drive to increase our commercial collections from local businesses.