Official launch of recycling contract with Medway Council
Leading recycling and waste management company, Veolia Environmental Services has officially launched its recycling contract with Medway Council (1 December).
The two-fold contract is worth approximately £200 million. Veolia will continue to provide recycling and street cleansing services for the next seven years and waste treatment and disposal services for the next 25 years.
For the disposal part of the new service, a new £2.3 million waste transfer station will be built in Whitehall Road, Strood, to allow the transfer of recyclable materials to Veolia’s material recovery facility at Rainham, Essex and residual waste to the SELCHP energy recovery facility in south east London.
The new contract will also see the introduction of a new co-mingled recycling service where residents will be able to recycle paper and card separately from glass, plastic bottles and glass.
The start of the new contract comes at a time when Medway Council has recently outlined plans to enter the race for city status in 2012, to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Denis Gasquet, Chief Operating Officer at Veolia Environnement and Chief Executive of Veolia Environmental Services, Jean-Dominique Mallet, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Environmental Services (UK), joined Neil Davies, chief executive at Medway Council, and Cllr Philip Filmer, portfolio holder at Medway Council on the launch day to mark the occasion at the Medway-based recycling depot.
Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services Cllr Philip Filmer said: “It is a council priority to make Medway a clean and green environment for all our residents to enjoy and our new waste contract with Veolia plays a critical part in fulfilling this commitment.
"This contract will not only make Medway more environmentally friendly, with aims to increase recycling and reduce general household waste, but will also, with the new waste transfer station, create employment in the area.
"One of our aims when considering the new waste contract was ensuring that we can provide the best possible service and value for money. We believe that all of our residents deserve a weekly waste collection and an excellent service and we are sure that this contract will fulfil this.”
Denis Gasquet, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Environmental Services said: "We are delighted to have won this contract renewal which reflects the existing high service levels provided by our staff and the quality of the partnership we have established with Medway Council.
"Now we are looking forward to delivering the enhanced offering that will help residents recycle more waste in line with the 40% target by the end of 2011."