The deal, which has an optional extension of two years, will see materials transported to Viridor’s materials recycling facility in Crayford, where it will be sorted and turned into a quality output for remanufacturing. The overall value of the deal has not been disclosed.
The announcement comes as Dacorum prepares to switch to commingled recycling collections from November 24 this year, which will see recycling boxes replaced with a new blue-lidded wheeled bin for residents’ dry recyclables.
At present, household recyclables are kerbside sorted and collected on alternate weeks to refuse in the borough.
Under the new system paper, plastics, tins, cans, glass and cardboard will be collected together on a fortnightly basis, while new kerbside caddies will also be rolled out for the separate weekly collection of food waste.
Meanwhile, residual waste will continue to be collected every two weeks from the grey wheeled bins already provided.
The council will also continue to collect recycling materials in-house from Hemel Hempstead, Berkhampsted, Tring and surrounding villages. Collections from flats in Dacorum are not scheduled to change until 2015.
Efficiency
The decision to switch to a commingled recycling system was made by Dacorum borough council’s cabinet panel in February this year. At the time, a report shown to councillors argued that commingling would enable the use of conventional refuse vehicles and provide a ‘more efficient’ collection process (see letsrecycle.com story).
Some 18,000 tonnes of household recyclate is collected from these areas each year, which was previously sent to a council-run MRF before being sold on to the market.
But in February, the council conceded it would need to ensure against the contamination of materials and define the end markets for all MRF recovered material, in order to prove that commingling it is technically practical. The authority is thought to have been contacted by Andy Moore of UK Recyclate Ltd and the Campaign for Real Recycling with a reminder of the rules governing separate collection and TEEP.
Graham Warren, Viridor regional managing director, said: “Winning this contract reflects our desire to pursue quality and, by working in partnership with councils, create opportunities to increase the value we recover from our waste streams. I’m very proud of all the team who worked together to impress Dacorum and win this contract.”
Roadshow
Meanwhile the council’s waste team has embarked on a seven-week roadshow tour to introduce residents to changes in their kerbside collections.
“We are very much looking forward to working with Viridor following the start of our new Recycle for Dacorum service in November.”
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