Sefton aims to save 900,000 with Palm contract

Sefton council is aiming to save around 900,000 in the first year under a new recycling services contract with Palm Recycling.

Under the deal, which was confirmed at a cabinet meeting on May 14 and announced officially last week, the Ellesmere Port-based company will provide kerbside collections for dry recyclables and food waste, as well as servicing bring banks located across the borough.

Sefton said that the five-year contract would not impact the existing arrangements for kerbside collections but achieve around 900,000 in the 2011/12 financial year by optimising use of staff and vehicles.

Over the course of the 2011/12 financial year, Sefton council needs to find a total of 20 million in savings from its budget and said it is keen to continue to innovate in order to help tackle this figure.

Jim Black, director of Street Scene at Sefton council, said: The new contract is an excellent piece of business for the authority. Not only do we save money, but we also have an opportunity to enhance the range of materials collected via the household recycling collection service in the future.

Furthermore, under the contract, it is anticipated that further savings could be achieved by adding plastics and cardboard to the kerbside collections.

Sefton is considering the best time to add these items and has revealed that it would cost an initial outlay of 1.1 million-a-year to incorporate these materials into the service.

Palm

Stephen Drane, business manager at Palm Recycling, said: It is praise for the service we are presently delivering for the area as well as presenting a number of exciting opportunities in the future, such as the addition of cardboard and plastics, as an integral part of the household collection scheme.

Palm Recycling was chosen for the contract, which has the option to be extended for a further two years, ahead of Acumen, Bryson, Enterprise and HW Martin.

According to council minutes, the contract went out to tender after the original service provider Cheshire Recycling, trading as AbitibiBowater Recycling Europe, went into administration in February 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Palm Recycling subsequently purchased the collections arm of the company (see letsrecycle.com story). And, it signed an interim agreement with Palm, and its subcontractor PD Logistics, to carry out the collections.

Sefton currently collects paper, glass, cans and tins, aerosols, clothes and shoes at the kerbside, with fibrous material collected in a separate blue bag. Household recycling collections will continue to take place on the same day as refuse collections.