Veolia to support Sutton with increased cleansing services

The new contract will be focused on new and more energy-efficient vehicles, an improved street cleansing service with waste bags being collected more quickly, as well as a night cleansing team to clear fly-tips overnight.

Community

As well as the partnership, Veolia has committed to funding community projects and school orchards, as well as increasing local recruitment, with a focus on supporting young care leavers into employment.

The council has invested in a refurbished depot dedicated solely to Sutton’s new waste and street cleansing contract, which aim to further enhance “the efficiency” of the waste service for residents, as well as “meeting environmental ambitions”.

Sutton residents can still expect the same frequency of collections, including on bank holidays, and there is said to be no change to the bins currently being used.

Commenting on the appointment, councillor Barry Lewis, lead member for the environment, said: “We have listened to our residents’ experiences of the current waste contract when choosing a partner.

“Our waste and street cleansing service is the one council service that every Sutton resident experiences. So, making sure it is efficient and responsive was extremely important to us. We also wanted the new contract to help us remain one of the cleanest and greenest places to live in London.

“To make sure we found the right partner, we undertook a rigorous selection process and councillors from all the political groups were involved in giving their feedback. From this process, it was clear Veolia understood our ambitions and recognised where they themselves could make improvements.

“I look forward to continuing work with colleagues from Veolia on making our waste and recycling services even better. We have already started to prepare for the new contract to ensure that we are ready to go on day one in April 2025.”

‘Clean streets’

Pascal Hauret, managing director, municipal at Veolia, said: “We are delighted to announce that we are the environmental partner of choice for the London Borough of Sutton. This new contract will target increased recycling, clean streets, decarbonisation and social value initiatives to support the local community.

“Building on our experience, we will work closely with the council to deliver on Sutton’s priorities to make a difference locally and deliver a more sustainable future for everyone.”