The five-year contract is worth more than 500,000 and will see ECT providing a fortnightly kerbside collection of recyclables from 49,000 low-rise households.
The Nuneaton and Bedworth contract sees further expansion for ECT, the UK's largest community-based recycling organisation, outside London. ECT provides kerbside collections for one in five Londoners, and its expansion to areas including Bristol and Bath means it runs 85% of community sector kerbside recycling services in the UK.
Residents of Nuneaton and Bedworth are being given red plastic boxes and will be able to recycle paper, glass, cans, foil, aerosols, textiles, car batteries and engine oil. The paper will be picked up in reusable carrier bags.
At the moment, the council is only recycling 6% of its household waste, but will have to reach 24% by 2006 under its government targets. Nuneaton and Bedworth hopes to introduce an alternative recycling scheme for communal houses and flat complexes next year.
Commenting on the new contract, Councillor Geoff Ashford, portfolio holder for health and the environment at Nuneaton and Bedworth council, said: “Introducing a multi-material collection service, and recycling 24% of the borough’s household waste by 2006 is one of my main priorities. This partnership with ECT is one service that will help us achieve this target.”
Rhona Coulter, recycling operations director of ECT Recycling, said: “This new contract shows that community recycling is going from strength to strength and we are delighted to help the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth meet its statutory recycling targets.”
Nuneaton and Bedworth was forced to scrap its alternate-week collection of refuse and green waste in July 2003 following discontent from residents (see letsrecycle.com story).
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