As reported by letsrecycle.com earlier, the contract began at the end of January but the final tender is yet to be published, and the value of the deal is still undisclosed (see letsrecycle.com story).
In its statement, Veolia explained that the contract will “contribute towards significantly improving recycling rates and supporting [the council’s] ambitions to reach net zero by 2030”.
Gavin Graveson, Veolia’s senior executive vice president for Northern Europe, said: “We are delighted to announce that we are the environmental partner of choice for Hammersmith & Fulham Council. The contract will significantly boost recycling rates across the borough, conserving resources in line with our purpose of ecological transformation.
“We are committed to launching social value initiatives within the community, such as introducing the Sustainability Fund to support local biodiversity and recycling projects, provide recruitment opportunities for long term unemployed residents and increase the number of apprentices.”
Contract
The company added that the contract, which includes kerbside recycling and waste collections, bulky waste and street cleansing, will also expand the current food waste recycling scheme to cover the whole of Hammersmith & Fulham. The borough is home to several high-profile events for which Veolia will deliver street cleansing services, including the Boat Race, Queen’s Club tennis and around the three football stadiums on match days.
Veolia explained that a tailormade recycling improvement plan will be devised in collaboration with the council and will be supported by an education, communication and outreach team to engage with residents and community groups on the ground to introduce new initiatives to increase recycling. Veolia began advertising for roles at the start of February.
Veolia added: “As a leader in the development of electric municipal refuse fleets, Veolia will work with Hammersmith & Fulham to develop electric vehicle and charging infrastructure solutions creating significant reductions in CO2 emissions, improving air quality and diminishing noise pollution. This will also support Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s climate emergency target to achieve net zero by 2030.”
Serco has held the contract sine 2008, with Hammersmith & Fulham recording a 27.5% recycling rate in 2020/21.
Subscribe for free