Beginning this month (May), Veolia UK Ltd has taken over as the waste, recycling and street cleansing contractor for North and East Herts. The North and East Herts Shared Waste Service has been in operation since 2018, and will be implementing a new collection scheme in August to allow residents to recycle more at home.
To prepare for the change, North Herts residents will receive a blue-lidded bin for cardboard and paper during May or June, replacing the current lidless blue or black box. The bins will be delivered with instructions not to use them until the service starts after 4 August.
The collection schedule is also changing, to improve the efficiency of the service and with some residents having changes to their collection day. Three bins: non-recyclable waste, mixed recycling, and cardboard and paper will be collected on a three-weekly alternating basis. Food waste collections will take place every week, and garden waste collections will continue fortnightly for those who subscribe.
These changes follow a public consultation held in summer 2022 and a competitive contract procurement process. They are designed to meet the Government’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ requirements, which call for the separate collection and recycling of food waste and cardboard and paper, as well as the recycling of soft plastics.
The new partnership with Veolia will expand the fleet of recycling and waste vehicles and ensure a more consistent service across North and East Herts, helping to improve overall service delivery.
Cllr Amy Allen, Executive Member for Recycling & Waste at North Herts Council, said: “We are excited to start this new partnership with Veolia who will play a key part in helping North and East Herts councils deliver a sustainable waste and recycling service for our residents by providing greater opportunities to recycle in the future.
“We understand that changes to services can take time to adjust to. However, we already know from the trailblazing plastic bag and wrapping trials in Knebworth, Sawbridgeworth and Royston, that local residents will rise to the occasion and help us realise our ambition to put sustainability at the heart of our recycling and waste service."
Pascal Hauret, Managing Director for Municipal at Veolia, said: “It’s so exciting to be beginning our new recycling and waste collections and street cleansing contract in partnership with East and North Hertfordshire Councils. We’re particularly pleased to be returning to districts we know well as we start this new contract. We aim to enhance collection services and improve street cleanliness, whilst supporting the councils on their journey to net-zero operations by decarbonising our operations through the introduction of new collection vehicles and electric street cleansing equipment."
More information: Bin changes
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