Waste management company Viridor has signed a one-year, interim contract to process and sell co-mingled recyclables for Bournemouth Borough Council.
Following on from Viridor’s previous waste contract with the council, the interim contract will begin in January 2015 and run until the end of July 2016. It will see all of the 17,00 tonnes of co-mingled recyclables collected from Bournemouth’s 18 wards taken for sorting at Viridor’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Kent, and sold on to reprocessors by the Viridor Resource Management trading division.
Although there is now a legal requirement for all local authorities in England and Wales to separately collect waste paper, metal, plastic and glass when they are necessary to ‘facilitate or improve recovery’ and are TEEP (technically, environmentally and economically practicable), the council says that it is utilising the Waste Regulations Route Map to undertake the tests and that it is 'confident' that it will follow a 'robust process'.
However, it is expected that the council will continue co-mingled collections as it is currently building its own MRF, which is estimates will be in operation 'after the completion of this interim contract'.
Reg Hutton, Head of Operations for Bournemouth Borough Council’s Street Services, said: “We are working hard to ensure we send as little rubbish as possible to landfill in order to protect the environment and reduce our disposal costs. Through awareness-raising campaigns, the commitment of Bournemouth residents to recycling and the provision of efficient waste and recycling services, 91 per cent of our household waste is reused, recycled or recovered. We look forward to continue working with Viridor during this period to improve our recycling rates and maintain the comprehensive service for residents.”
Simon Prior, Commercial Manager for Viridor, added: “We are very pleased to continue our ongoing relationship with Bournemouth Borough Council. We have been helping them to recycle for many years and we look forward to continuing to do so for the future. This has given us more opportunities to continue on in our quest to give the world’s resources new life and help Bournemouth Borough Council improve their recycling rates.”
Find out more about Viridor and recycling in Bournemouth.
Get our weekly digest
resource.co article ai
How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.