Wiltshire seeks single provider for waste services

Waste and recycling collections are set to go out to tender in Wiltshire, which could see all the countys services delivered by a single provider from 2016.

At a cabinet meeting last week (July 23), councillors agreed to invite tenders for the collection of either comingled dry recyclables collected separately from glass at the kerbside, or for the collection of dry recyclable material sorted at the kerbside.

Furthermore, the council is seeking tenders for other recycling services and facilities in the county, either for a single contract also covering the collection services, or through several separate providers for different services

With the latter option, separate tenders are invited for: the provision and operation of sites for garden waste and composting; the provision and operation of household recycling centres, transfer stations and a materials recycling facility (MRF); and the treatment and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous residual waste

The council currently operates its residual, garden, plastic bottle and cardboard wheeled-bin collections in-house in North, South and East Wiltshire. Waste management firm Hills Waste Solutions also has a contract to operate kerbside recycling box collections which includes paper, glass, cans, foil and textiles across the county as a whole, which ends in 2016

Furthermore, fortnightly garden and residual waste collections in West Wiltshire only are operated under a contract with FCC Environment which runs until 2014, with the option of extending it for up to seven years

According to the council, discussions are ongoing with FCC as it has offered a discount to the council on the price of extending the contract until July 31 2016, which is when the Hills Waste Solutions contract also ends. A decision on whether to extend the contract until 2016 will be made by cabinet on September 24.

A council report considered at the cabinet meeting states that extending the FCC contract to expire alongside the Hills Waste contract could enable the council to invite tenders for an integrated collection service to be delivered by a single service provider from 1 August 2016.

However, the council will also set out the costs of retaining and moving services in-house, with provision to abandon the tender process if the council decides that an in-house option would provide the best value.

A timetable for procurement has been agreed for the process being in September 2013, before proposed contracts would be awarded in summer 2014 to commence on August 1 2016.

Waste strategy

The move to tender comes as part of the councils waste management strategy, which seeks to better harmonise waste services in the county in order to achieve a targeted 50% recycling rate and to reduce waste to landfill to less than 25% by 2014.

In 2011/12, Wiltshire councils recycling rate was 42.83%, while the amount of waste sent to landfill was 36.65%.

Wiltshire became a unitary authority in 2009, prior to which waste collections were carried out by four district councils. Part of the bid to become one council included a commitment to harmonise the different waste collection systems inherited from the former district councils.

Since 2012, all residents in the county receive the same fortnightly collection services but with different contractors for different areas.

‘Opportunity’

Toby Sturgis, council cabinet member for waste management services, said: Now we have the same services countywide, the expiry of these contracts gives us an opportunity to deliver those services in a more cost effective way. It is vitally important to ensure we are able to continue to deliver a high quality waste collection service to residents across Wiltshire.

Currently, 50,000 tonnes of residual waste per year from Wiltshire is processed at the 160 million Lakeside energy-from-waste (EfW) plant in Slough operated by Grundon and Viridor (see letsrecycle.com story).

Meanwhile, another 60,000 tonnes per year is set to be treated at the 24 million mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant in Westbury under a 25-year contract with Hills Waste, which is set to open later this year (see letsrecycle.com story).

Earlier this month, refuse collectors in West Wiltshire employed by FCC Environment went on strike earlier over a pay dispute (see letsrecycle.com story). While, union GMB has not ruled out another strike in future after a pay deal from FCC was not forthcoming, union members voted against a strike on July 22 and there are no current plans for further action.