Recycling and waste management company, Yorwaste, has entered into a partnership with North Yorkshire County Council to manage the council’s 20 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

Yorwaste, which says it manages over half a million tonnes of waste per year, has also taken on the 84 members of staff who were employed by the previous contractor, Keir, following the beginning of the partnership on Saturday (1 April).

The new partnership sees Yorwaste extend its coverage to the whole of North Yorkshire after having signed a £1.5 million three-year contract in January 2016 to process recyclables for the North Yorkshire local authorities of Harrogate, Craven, Humbleton and Richmondshire.

Commenting on the move, Steve Barker, Managing Director of Yorwaste, said: “We look forward to working with the county council to continue to maximise the recycling and recovery of the material people bring into the sites.

“As North Yorkshire’s largest waste management company, we have access to an unparalleled number of waste transfer sites.

“This means we are able to use the latest technology to separate and sort different waste. Significantly, the whole emphasis is on recycling as much material as possible and maximising its value.”

Ian Fielding, Yorkshire County Council’s Assistant Director for Waste and Countryside Services, added: “Our household waste recycling centres provide an important and already effective service, and users should notice little change on site. The centres will continue to provide reuse, recycling and composting facilities for a wide range of materials.

“However, under the new partnership, we will challenge Yorwaste to develop the network further to improve performance and customer satisfaction. It will also divert even more waste from landfill and save money.”