The contract sees Biffa take care of waste collection, street and beach cleansing on behalf of the Hastings borough, Rother district and Wealden district councils.
The original seven-year contract was awarded to Biffa in 2019 with the option to be extended for a further seven years.
The new contract includes a fleet of waste collection vehicles which are run on hydrotreated vegetable oil. The waste partnership said this will reduce the fleets’ carbon emissions by up to 90%.
Biffa will continue to provide its Biffa Award scheme to local community organisations looking to secure funding.
Councillor Hazel Timpe, Rother district council’s portfolio holder for neighbourhood services and waste management, said: “We’re delighted that this extension has been agreed. Since the contract started in 2019, we and our partner authorities have developed an excellent working relationship with Biffa enabling us to provide a high-level service to our residents.
“We’re currently working with Biffa as we plan the new weekly food waste collection service which starts in Rother in March 2026. We really appreciate their help and expertise and look forward to continuing this joint working during the remaining years of the contract.”
Since the first contract began, the councils have seen an increase in their recycling rate from 37% in 2019 to 46% in 2024, as well as a drop in missed bin collections.
Steve Cole, managing director of Biffa Municipal, said: “I’d like to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication in what has been a long and complicated process.
“It’s testament to the strength of our partnership and working relations how we’ve managed to complete a comprehensive extension agreement and delivered what I genuinely believe to be an excellent outcome for the partnership, the communities in Sussex we serve as well as for Biffa, for years to come.”
Bevan Brittan provided legal advice to the East Sussex Joint Waste Partnership on their contract extension and variation.
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