The new contracts, which start in May, are worth some 45 million in all and attracted interest from contractors across Europe.
Successful bidders were: SITA (Lancashire), Shanks Waste Solutions, Mersey Waste Holdings, Waste Recycling Group and Neales Waste Management.
The contracts were designed to secure waste disposal facilities while moves are underway to increase the amount of waste recycled. At present some 700,000 tonnes of household waste is produced annually, of which around 20% is recycled.
Clauses in the contracts mean the councils can reward the companies for recycling material from the general waste skips.
Lancashire county councillor, Brian Johnson, said: “The new contracts will allow us to look at more sustainable forms of waste management and help both councils to achieve their challenging targets for recycling.”
SITA has won the largest of the contracts, accounting for around 75% of the total. The council originally let its contract to Lancashire Waste Services in 1993. This merged with SITA last year.
SITA will open new transfer stations in Lancaster and Blackburn and expand recycling facilities next year at the existing ones in Blackpool and Pendle.
Recycling will start at the new Lancaster transfer station at the start of the contract and this facility will eventually handle all the city's waste when the local landfill site is closed.
SITA's regional director Peter Gilliatt said: “The new contract will allow us to look at more sustainable forms of waste management and assist the county to achieve its recycling targets.”
Register for free to comment