The city council is tendering a Public-Private Procurement (PPP) contract for the recycling of materials from kerbside collections and household waste sorting sites, following the expiry of its current contract. The collections themselves will continue to be carried out by the city council's in house team.
Stephen Holmes, assistant operations manager for Leeds council's recycling waste services, said: “At the moment the kerbside collected material is being transferred to a local merchant and this will continue on an interim basis until an award is made.”
” We want someone to come forward and suggest innovative ways to do this providing the flexibility to adapt according to market trends and changes in legislation.“
– Stephen Holmes, of Leeds city council
The household waste sorting site materials are currently processed by several different organisations and charities but the council is now looking to include this tonnage in the new contract.
“We are looking to select a preferred bidder as soon as we can hopefully in September or October this year,” said Mr Holmes.
Around 24,600 tonnes of recyclable material, including inert waste, is collected at the household waste sorting sites each year with an additional 12,700 tonnes expected each year from kerbside collections following the expansion of the city's green bin scheme. Currently, the council is collecting paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and cans from over 200,000 households.
Plans
Mr Holmes said: “We are looking for additional materials to be added to the service. We want someone to come forward and suggest innovative ways to do this providing the flexibility to adapt according to market trends and changes in legislation.”
He added that a new materials recycling facility could be included in tenders but it will be important for the new contractor to be able to make other arrangements while the infrastructure is put in place.
The city council's current recycling rate is estimated to be at 15% and it has a target to recycle 22.7% by 2005, as set out in a local public service agreement and identified in the council's Waste Strategy.
The deadline for companies wishing to submit tenders for the recycling contract is April 26, 2004.
Recycling in Leeds has proved controversial in the past as some material from the city was exported to the Far East for sorting. There has also been a fire within Leeds transfer station which disrupted services and in recent months the city is understood to have made use of facilities in neighbouring Kirklees.
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