Letsrecycle.com reported last week (3 February) that Brent council had awarded Veolia an initial eight-year contract worth £17.1 million per annum to carry out waste and recycling collections, continuing a partnership between the pair which began in 1992 (see letsrecycle.com story).
As part of the contract, the council will switch to alternate twin-stream collections from October, following a “successful” trial which took place last autumn.
Pascal Hauret, Veolia UK’s municipal managing director, said: “We are committed to offering a best-in-class service to the Brent community which includes street cleansing, new recycling and waste collections and winter maintenance.
“The partnership is already helping Brent on its journey to net zero and ecological transformation and we are looking forward to rolling out key improvements to raise the recycling rate and lower the borough’s carbon impact.”
Veolia’s new contract, which begins this April, could be extended by another years. It has been valued at £274 million over its full 16-year lifetime.
Brent
Following the eight-week trial and feedback from “hundreds” of residents, Brent will implement a twin-stream service from October whereby residents will separate paper and cardboard from containers such as water bottles, milk bottles and tins.
We are committed to offering a best-in-class service to the Brent community
– Pascal Hauret, Veolia UK’s municipal managing director
Brent hopes separating paper and card will reduce contamination, increasing the amount of material they can recycle and consequently the income they receive from those materials.
Other changes once Veolia’s new deal begins include the introduction of a free, bookable small items collection service from April 2024 for residents wanting to recycle textiles, paint, coffee pods, batteries and small electrical appliances.
The council told letsrecycle.com Veolia was chosen for the contract so they continue to provide an “efficient” service for Brent residents and help improve their recycling rate, “which is vital if we are going to work towards a greener future for the next generation.”
Cllr Krupa Sheth, Brent’s cabinet member for environment, infrastructure and climate action, said: “The contract renewal will mean that the council can save money, continue to deliver the services that residents need the most and improve recycling rates.”
Representing an estimated population of more than 330,000, Brent council had a household waste recycling rate of 37.4% in the 2021/22 financial year.
Statistics published last week (31 January) by the department for the environment, food and rural affairs show Brent is one of the worst areas in England for fly-tipping, with 35,480 incidents in 2021/22 alone (see letsrecycle.com story).
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