ECT preferred bidder for Somerset waste contract

ECT Recycling has been chosen by The Somerset Waste Partnership as its preferred bidder to deliver recycling and refuse collection services until at least 2014, with two optional extensions of seven years.

””By moving to one large-scale countywide contract for recycling and refuse, we created robust competition between experienced waste collection companies.“
John Osborne – Somerset Waste Board
The partnership, made up of six councils – Somerset, Sedgemoor, South Somerset, Mendip, West Somerset, and Taunton Deane – says this will allow the local authorities to work more closely together and merge five recycling collections in the county into one.

It should also boost the recycling rate from 40% to 50% by 2014 and save costs.

ECT


ECT Recycling, which runs community-based recycling services for two million people across the UK, was chosen as the preferred bidder from four short-listed companies – Biffa, ECT, SITA and Veolia – at meetings of each of the council's cabinet or executive committees.

ECT already runs the existing recycling services for four of the six Somerset councils – Mendip, Sedgemoor, South Somerset and Taunton Deane.

John Osborne, project director for the Somerset Waste Board, said: “This step forward provides us with a fantastic opportunity to build on the already impressive 40 per cent recycling rate in Somerset. We look forward to working closely with ECT Recycling to increase this figure even further.

“By moving to one large-scale countywide contract for recycling and refuse, we created robust competition between experienced waste collection companies. This will now enable us to work with ECT Recycling to provide the best possible services for Somerset residents,” he said.

The Somerset Waste Partnership will now enter into negotiations with ECT Recycling to finalise details of the new contract, which will cover 228,000 households.

It will include collection services for dry recycling, food waste, garden waste and refuse, and will begin in October, 2007.