The partnership represents Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and West Somerset district councils, Taunton Deane borough council and Somerset county council, and is expected to pave the way for a more efficient, improved and harmonized waste service.
Steve Read, managing director of the partnership, claimed that in particular Somerset hoped to provide a source-separated kerbside recycling scheme to all areas, collect more materials and look into residual waste treatment technologies.
He said: “Moving to the new Somerset Waste Partnership is a big step towards improving and harmonising recycling and waste services across Somerset, helping to remove confusion over what services are provided where, not to mention making significant efficiency savings through working as a partnership.”
He added: “We already have a 47.2% recycling and composting rate and I think there is the potential to increase that to near 60% once we have improved and harmonised the systems, without any additional cost increases.”
Plans
Under the Somerset Waste Partnership's plans, one of the main changes will be the introduction of a single waste and recycling collection contract, due to begin next week.
Mr Read explained that he was preparing to finalise the contract with ECT Group, which would see the kerbside “SORT IT!” recycling service, currently provided in only some parts of Somerset, extended across all districts from next year.
This will replace number of waste and recycling collection contracts in Somerset, mainly held with Veolia Environmental Services.
Mr Read said: “We are just about to sign a contract with preferred bidder ECT for a combined collection contract including dry recyclables, food and garden waste. At the moment we are in the final throws of the existing contracts.”
Another large element of the Somerset Waste Partnership's responsibilities will be with regards to treating residual household waste.
At present, Somerset sends all of its non-recyclable waste to landfill, and has no municipal waste treatment facilitites. Waste disposal is managed under an existing long-term contract with Viridor Waste Management.
Mr Read said: “One of the priorities coming forward will be to investigate residual waste treatment technology. Viridor would be prepared to build what technology we decide is appropriate.We would be looking at something on the ground well before 2013.”
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