First for Plan B as it wins Bridgend collection contract

The contract represents Plan B’s first collections contract in the UK and comes after a high level of involvement by Plan B in Bridgend where it had already been providing management services for the incumbent, Kier.

The South Wales work, which starts on 1 April next year, means that Oxfordshire-headquartered Plan B will become a rare new entrant into the field of operational waste management services in the UK. The company’s management team have significant waste sector experience with previous work for May Gurney, Kier and Veolia and it is expected that the business will seek to lever further successes on the back of the Bridgend contract.

The initial two-year Bridgend deal will start when the council’s existing contract with Kier comes to an end in March 2024. It has the option to be extended for a further two years up to 2028. It was valued at more than £32 million over the entire four years.

The notice announcing the successful bid notes that Plan B was the only party to submit a bid for the deal.

‘Transition’

Maz Akhtar, Plan B Management Solutions managing director, said: “Plan B is delighted to have been awarded the Bridgend waste and recycling contract and is looking forward to supporting all the residents and businesses from Spring 2024 onwards. We continue with our long-term relationship with the outgoing contractor to seamlessly transition the services and welcoming all the staff transferring as part of this contract.

“It is within Plan B’s culture to support the communities within the areas we operate and the Bridgend contract will allow us to implement some new initiatives which will benefit the community.”

Contract

Kier currently provides a waste collection service to all residential and, where applicable, commercial properties in the region.

This is in the form of fortnightly blue bag collection for materials that cannot be recycled and weekly recycling collections. For most households, there is a limit of two blue bags per fortnight.

Four separate bins for cardboard, paper, glass and plastic, cans, aerosols and foil are also collected weekly. As well as a separate food waste bin. This will be continued under the Plan B deal.

Bridgend recorded a 72.6% recycling rate in 2021/22 and serves around 140,000 residents.