It is the first contract the company has announced it has won since the French-owned Suez completed the £2 billion purchase of Suez recycling and recovery UK back from Veolia in December (see letsrecycle.com story).
Suez will take on waste collection and recycling services for nearly 200,000 households across Ashford, Maidstone and Swale councils from Biffa from March 2024.
Biffa had provided services on the councils’ behalf under a contract first awarded in 2012.
Suez said the local authorities, which together have made up the Mid Kent Waste Partnership since 2008, have awarded it the deal after a detailed tender process.
The contract also covers street cleansing in Ashford and Swale, although Maidstone’s will remain in-house.
John Scanlon, Suez’s chief executive, said he was “delighted” the Mid Kent Waste Partnership had entrusted his company to deliver essential services to their residents.
Mr Scanlon added: “With our experience and expertise in service innovation, Suez is well-positioned to partner with the councils to navigate the upcoming period of transition as the government implements its waste reforms to create a more circular, resource-efficient UK economy.”
The existing Biffa staff will transfer to Suez at the start of the contract, the company says.
Services
Suez says fortnightly collections of waste and recycling will continue across the three councils, with a single wheeled bin for dry recycling, alongside weekly food waste collections.
The waste management company says a new fleet of lower emission vehicles using electric bin lifts will be introduced, funded by each council, alongside improved technology for vehicle tracking, routing and managing customer service requests.
And, the contract also includes proposed improvements to the level of cleansing in rural and residential areas and quicker response times for the removal of fly-tipping.
Mr Scanlon said: “We look forward to rolling out modern technology and new low emission vehicles, together with improved routes and fly-tip response times, to help drive up recycling rates, drive down the carbon footprint of the services and provide an enhanced customer service to residents of Mid Kent.”
‘Better, cleaner, greener service’
In 2020/21, the latest financial year for which data is available, Ashford borough council had a household waste recycling rate of 50.5%, while Maidstone borough council’s was 49.7% and Swale borough council’s 41.4%.
Suez provided a strong bid, showing enthusiasm to deliver the service and bringing their considerable industry experience to Mid Kent
- Cllr Martin Round, lead cabinet member for environmental services at Maidstone borough council
Cllr Matthew Forest, Ashford’s portfolio holder for the environment, said his borough had been on “quite a journey” and had become one of the best councils at recycling in the country. “This new contract will mean a better, cleaner, greener service on the way for residents,” he added.
Cllr Martin Round, Maidstone’s lead cabinet member for environmental services, said his authority was pleased to continue working with Ashford and Swale, “to deliver what is our biggest contract.” “Suez provided a strong bid, showing enthusiasm to deliver the service and bringing their considerable industry experience to Mid Kent.”
And, Cllr Julian Saunders, chair of Swale’s environment committee, added: “Council officers have worked effectively with their colleagues in Ashford and Maidstone over the last couple of years to get this new contract in place.
“We’ve listened to residents’ views throughout the process which is why we wanted to keep dry recycling collections in one bin and improve street cleansing.”
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