The renewal, which is worth almost £3 million with options for extension, will see Viridor separate and process 30,000 tonnes of plastics, paper, card and cans from 130,000 households per year.
In addition, the contract will secure 18 jobs at Viridor’s 60,000 tonnes-per-year Bargeddie materials recycling facility (MRF) where the recyclable materials are already accepted as part of a pre-existing contract between the firm and the council.
The Bargeddie MRF was officially opened by Scottish environment secretary Richard Lochhead in 2009, developed at a cost of £7.1 million to Viridor (see letsrecycle.com story).
The material, combined with recycling from South Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Aberdeenshire and Highland, is tagged and sent for further processing at Viridor’s network facilities before re-entering the secondary raw materials marketplace.
Shanks
North Lanarkshire council previously held a five-year contract with waste management firm Shanks, which saw the contractor sort domestic and commercial recyclable materials at its 150,000 tonnes capacity Blochairn MRF in Glasgow.
However, the Blochairn site was closed in late 2013, following the sale of its solid waste collection business to waste management firm Biffa for 9.5 million, first announced in October 2013.
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As a result, North Lanarkshire council entered into an interim 18 month interim contract with Viridor, while Shanks sold its MRF to Glasgow city council in March this year (see letsrecycle.com story).
Flagship
Steven Don, Scottish regional manager for Viridor, welcomed the council’s decision to renew the contract.
He said: “With a firm focus on giving the world’s resources new life, this latest partnership between Viridor and North Lanarkshire Council is great news. Great news for the county, for the council, and communities both in relation to enhanced recycling and an associated package of community benefits including our flagship education partnership.”
Mr Don added: “The announcement further develops Viridor’s investment in North Lanarkshire – from our Bargeddie recycling hub and our Scottish Regional HQ at EuroCentral, to our latest £25m investment in the UK’s most advanced glass recycling facility at Newhouse. That investment, including a £2.8m spend in the immediate area each year, will continue to position Lanarkshire as a prime location for next generation green infrastructure.”
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