Westmorland and Furness Council is set to approve a £4.6 million contract to buy thousands of new wheelie bins as it presses ahead with its shake-up of waste and recycling collections.
The move forms part of the council's waste harmonisation plans, which will see households across Eden switch from weekly blue bag household waste collections to fortnightly collections using wheelie bins.
The decision is set to be signed off this week by senior council officers under delegated powers and will see the authority spend up to £4.6 million over the next two years on new bins for the councils planned waste service changes approved by councillors last year.
The contract forms part of the council's wider waste transformation programme, which aims to replace the patchwork of collection systems inherited from the former district councils with a single system across Westmorland and Furness.
Three companies submitted bids for the lucrative contract, with the winning bidder achieving the highest overall score during the procurement process, which was carried out through the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation framework used by councils across the North to procure goods and services.
The £4.6 million spend will be funded from a £5.75 million budget allocation already approved by councillors as part of the authority's waste transformation plans.
Alongside buying new bins, the council has also agreed a deal to sell off old wheeled bins and recycling boxes, which will themselves be recycled. Officials estimate around 146 tonnes of old bins will be collected and recycled, generating approximately £32,850 in income for the authority.
Council officers have said the changes will help residents recycle more materials, support national "Simpler Recycling" requirements and improve health and safety for collection crews.
The new contract is one of the biggest waste-related spending commitments made by the authority since local government reorganisation created Westmorland and Furness Council in 2023.
Council officers say the investment is necessary to deliver the new waste collection system and standardise services across the area.
Council officers have said: "By implementing the new waste collection system we will provide greater capacity for residents to recycle more materials in line with Simpler Recycling legislation, thus reducing negative impacts on the environment."
They added: "The buyback of end-of-life bins ensures that these are recycled and provides closed-loop recycling as the plastic will be used to make wheeled bins."
Council officers also said: "We have engaged with staff who are supportive of the change as it will improve the health and safety of the collections."
The council has also claimed the £4.6 million investment will support its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2037 by reducing emissions through more efficient collection rounds while encouraging and enabling residents to recycle more.
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
