Camden council’s new environment services contract, which includes an overhaul of recycling and waste services within the north London borough, has begun this month (April).
Waste and recycling services within the borough are to continue to be provided by Veolia, which signed the eight year deal with the council in August 2016. Veolia has carried out waste services on behalf of the authority since 2003.
However, under the renewed contract, the council is seeking to make a number of savings, which are aimed at reducing the cost of running the service by up to £5 million per year.
The council aims to reach a 40% recycling rate by 2020, with only around 25% of its waste currently recycled or composted. Camden council claims that as much as 85% of the waste discarded by residents in residual waste bins is recyclable under the current service.
Service changes
Changes include charging residents £75 per year for garden waste collections, while rolling out weekly collections of dry recycling and food waste. At the same time, Camden is to roll out 120-litre refuse bins and instigate a no side waste policy while reducing collection frequency from weekly to fortnightly.
Dry recyclable materials including, paper, plastic pots, tubs trays and bottles, metal cans, tins and aerosols, cardboard, cartons and glass are all included in the authority’s green box kerbside collection system.
Commenting on the contract, Councillor Meric Apac, the council’s cabinet member for sustainability and environment, said: “Bins and bags have now been delivered, as have service guides, advising what goes in which respective bin or bag, when their collection dates are, and where containers need to be left on collection day.
“85% of what Camden currently throws away is recyclable yet our recycling rate is closer to 25%. It’s vital we recycle more and by appropriately separating waste and recycling, residents can help us become leaders in recycling in London, make us even more environmentally friendly and help Camden to save at least £5 million each year.”
London
April has seen Veolia consolidate its presence within the capital – having begun a major contract to manage waste services on behalf of the South London Waste Partnership – which includes the boroughs of Sutton, Merton, Kingston and Croydon (see letsrecycle.com).
As a result of the contract win, which saw Veolia take over the in-house service that had previously been provided in Sutton and Merton, the company now holds contracts for waste operations with 13 of the city’s 32 boroughs.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment