New Waste and Recycling Contract
Swale Borough Council - working together with Ashford and Maidstone Councils, as the Mid Kent Waste Partnership - have awarded an eight-year waste and recycling contract to Suez Recycling and Recovery UK. The new contract begins in March 2024 and will bring improvements to the existing service and make use of the latest technology.
Fortnightly collections of waste and recycling will continue across the borough, with one wheeled bin for dry recycling, alongside the regular weekly food waste collections. The new contract aims to increase recycling rates and improve route efficiency.
Lower emission vehicles will be used along with better technology to keep residents up to date. The new vehicles are being funded directly by the councils to help save costs and will be more modern vehicles that use electric bin lifts, reducing the consumption of diesel dramatically and helping lower the services’ carbon footprint.
Suez will also deliver the street cleansing service in Swale. The new contract includes improvements to the level of cleansing in rural and residential areas, as well as quicker response times for the removal of fly-tipping.
As part of the tender process, the council consulted residents about their views on the current service through a survey and via the Swale Area Committees. It was very clear that residents wanted to continue to use a single bin for mixed dry recycling, rather than have a separate bin for paper and cardboard (as used in Canterbury for example). There was a widespread view that street cleansing in rural areas was not adequate, and there was concern about the time it can take to clear fly-tipping. The tender for the new contract has reflected these priorities.
The current service will continue to be delivered by Biffa until the start of the new contract in March 2024. Staff working on the existing contract will be transferred to the new contractor.
Tim Valentine (TimValentine@swale.gov.uk) 07752 191807
Alastair Gould (AlastairGould@swale.gov.uk)
Swale Borough Councillors for Boughton & Courtenay.
Councillor's Report April 2024
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