From 1st April 2007, Sevenoaks-based Verdant will be taking over from current provider Serco to provide a revamped service to improve recycling rates. Serco has held the contract since April 2000.
”The council’s vision… will require significant change to its traditional service delivery “
– Roger Edwards, Verdant development director
In 2005 the council decided to put the work out to tender to a new specification with higher recycling targets in mind. The seven year agreement, at 2,557,818 a year, includes the introduction of alternate weekly collections of residual waste from wheeled bins, expanded kerbside recycling collections and the introduction of green waste collections. Bins will be fitted with identifying chips at the time of purchase and with monitoring this will cost 20,000 per year.
Black sacks
Under the current service only 60% of Rother's 41,500 homes receive kerbside collections of paper while the whole district has weekly collections of residual waste using back sacks.
Rother district, which includes Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, said it hopes Verdant will help increase its recycling rate from 16% at present to 25% by November 2007, and to 45% by 2010.
Councillor Graham Gubby, leader of Rother, said: “The council is keen to ensure that not only do we continuously improve the quality of the services provided but that we also obtain excellent value for money on behalf of our residents.
Verdant has been appointed following a very detailed and stringent selection process. The company met all our requirements, complies with industry best practice and offered the best all-round solution and excellent value-for-money for our residents.”
Verdant currently holds contracts for refuse collection and street cleansing for 12 authorities in England and Wales. Roger Edwards, development director, said: “This contract win is fantastic news for us and continues Verdant’s expansion in the home counties. But, more importantly, it promises to be great news for Rother’s residents.
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“The council’s vision of more efficient and effective waste-related services, particularly in recycling, will require significant change to its traditional service delivery. That means a lot of change for local residents, but we’re confident that they will respond positively and work closely with Verdant to implement the new schemes. We know we can make a real difference in Rother, with the support and help of local people.”
Four bids
While seven bidders were shortlisted for the contract, only four bids were received by Rother. The Verdant bid was agreed on the basis of “option 2 – revenue payments only” in the annual sum of 2,557,818, including a response option of 48,000.
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