Cabinet asked to approve the start of procurement process for waste treatment
Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet is asked to give the green light to starting a procurement process for a new contract for the transfer and treatment of the Council’s collected residual (non-recyclable) waste.
The Council collects approximately 70,000 tonnes of waste that cannot be recycled each year, through the kerbside black bins, non-recyclable waste from HWRCs, the Bulky Waste Service and StreetCare waste (litter, litterbin and some fly tipped waste collected by StreetCare and Avenue Services.)
FCC Environment currently hold the contract for the treatment of this waste until 31 March 2027the main treatment facility used results in zero waste to landfill, with the residues from incineration (bottom ash and fly ash) being recycled for use in the construction industry. Energy is also produced to support wider UK energy needs.
Treatment of residual waste is a key part of delivering the Council’s Climate Change ambitions. The Council’s strategy focuses on reducing residual waste by providing services for the public that prevent valuable resources from being thrown away. The Council also recognises the opportunity to reduce the carbon impact of waste and supporting the circular economy that is rapidly developing in the region.
The future waste management contract will cover:
- Management of delivery point(s) local to the Council’s current waste operations for receiving and transferring residual waste.
- Haulage from the delivery point(s) to the final treatment facility
- Treatment of residual waste at a suitable facility.
The Council currently recycles around 59% of all waste collected, and is committed to reaching 64% by 2028/29, as part of the long-term climate change objectives to bring further carbon and financial savings. To meet these ambitions, the Council must work together with residents, Government and the waste industry to reduce the amount of waste sent to energy recovery facilities.
As part of any future contract, the Council will make a proportion of waste collected available for local pilot projects that offer innovative solutions to treating waste.
A new contract for the treatment of non-recyclable waste is the next step in delivering the Council’s Waste Management Strategy, which was agreed in 2021. This follows the introduction of new recycling containers, a new fleet of waste collection vehicles, and upcoming changes to how we operate Household Waste Recycling Centres. The Council has a statutory duty to manage any non-recyclable waste we collect. In doing so, we want to make sure that we achieve value for money with any future contract whilst also finding a solution that supports our climate aims. As part of this, we are excited that we will be committing a proportion of this waste to support potential future testing of innovative waste treatment technologies. It is important that residents separate their waste at home and that together we recycle as much as we can using the kerbside collection service to ensure that as little non-recyclable waste needs to be treated as possible. This will give us the chance to increase our re-use and recycling rate and help us to achieve our goal of the Borough becoming carbon neutral by 2045.
To see what can be recycled as part of your regular kerbside collection, visit: