The short-listed candidates will have to state what they will do to help increase recycling from 21% to the target of 55% over the next 25 years.
The county council, which currently has a contract with Cory Environmental Services, says it does not yet have any preferred bidders, but is currently considering more than two companies.
The Recycling Consortium (TRC) said last week that it will work in partnership with Cory to tender for the Gloucestershire contract. The group said it will work with the waste management company on the development of effective communications and waste minimisation initiatives.
The current Cory contract ends in 2006 and the new company would take over with immediate affect. Commenting on whether Cory could do the job, the council's waste projects manager, Wayne Lewis said: “Cory are a big company and I'm sure they potentially have the capacity to do more.”
Gloucestershire currently generates 280,000 tonnes of waste each year, increasing in-line with the national average of 3% per year. The target is to recycle 55% by the end of the contract, with staggered deadlines.
The first target for 2005/2006 is 36% and Mr Lewis says it is hoped a 1.56 million grant from DEFRA's waste minimisation and recycling fund will help achieve this.
“It is likely that the money will be used for new technologies including an MRF and MBT facilities. There are no plans for incinerators at the moment but we are prepared to consider any bids that include thermal treatment facilities,” he said.
A scrutiny committee meeting last week looked at Gloucestershire's proposed Waste Local Plan due out on June 2, 2004. It said the main aim is to implement a sustainable, integrated waste management system for Gloucestershire and recognises that, to achieve this, a range of different waste management facilities will be required.
It particularly stated that MBT – mechanical biological treatment – has been identified as central to both the emerging Regional Waste Strategy and is also viewed as a potentially key component of future management of municipal waste streams in Gloucestershire.
With the DEFRA money the council has improved it household recycling centres and is extending its kerbside collections of dry recyclables and garden waste. “We would also consider collecting kitchen waste if a suitable site for in-vessel composting was suggested,” said Mr Lewis. “We want to concentrate on biodegradable methods through composting and MBT,” he added.
On whether immediate plans were likely to increase their recycling rate by 15% in a year, Mr Lewis said “It's ambitious, and we're still looking at it, but we think the DEFRA money will help.”
Meanwhile, the council is also planning to cease operations at its transfer station at Myers Road because of the proximity to residential properties and constraints to the highway network.
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