Waste Services wins council glass contract

Waste Services, a commercial waste and recycling collection specialist which is part of Verdant Group, will collect the glass on behalf of New Forest district council.

A Waste Services skip vehicle will visit each site on a varying cycle depending on how quickly the banks fill-up and replace those which are full with an empty bank.

The material will be taken to the plant run by glass recycler Recresco in Southampton, where it is washed and sorted before being sent to reprocessors who make it into bottles.

Waste Services managing director Roger Edwards said: “The whole Waste Services team is delighted by the news of this contract. With our headquarters in Southampton and operational centres across the south coast, we value the whole New Forest area as an area of exceptional natural beauty and one where high environmental standards are vital.”

Recycling

The contract is Waste Services' first glass bank-dedicated service for a local authority in Hampshire. New Forest District Council hopes the contract will help maintain and improve its recycling services.

Assistant Director of Commercial Services, Colin Read, said: “We have a good and improving record for our recycling and waste reduction activities, and providing a reliable, quality service for collecting recyclables is a key part of that.

Given our location in one of the most beautiful parts of Britain, it's paramount that we do everything we can to reduce waste and litter generated by residents and visitors alike. Waste Services will provide an important collection service supporting our glass recycling operations, a service based on efficiency, reliability and flexibility.”

New Forest's household waste recycling rate for 2005/05 – the most recent figures available – was 26.4%, below its target of 30%. The figure for dry recyclables was 25% and 1% for composting.

The council, along with 13 other Hampshire councils and the county council, forms part of Project Integra.

The county-wide initiative aims to recycle 50% of total household waste by 2010 and its infrastructure developments include two materials recycling facilities in Portsmouth and Alton, and three energy-from-waste incinerators in Chineham, Marchwood and Portsmouth.