Decisions to be made over wheelie bins, household waste and recycling contract in Calderdale

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet will consider a range of options when they meet at Halifax Town Hall on June 12 – and whether to renew the contact with operator Suez or look at different ways of running the service.

Recent years have seen some issues relating to recycling, including missed collections and the council having to allocate £150,000 in its 2022-23 budget to help retain drivers, many having being lost to better-paying HGV jobs.

However, the service is performing well with recycling levels improving under Suez, helped by the public’s efforts, and over the last six years the amount of Calderdale waste ending up in landfill has dropped from six per cent to under one per cent, a better environmental impact and less charges for taking waste to landfill.

And on balance, the recommendation is to retain Suez for this extended spell – the current contract is due to end on July 31, 2024.

At the moment choosing another operator is tinged with uncertainty due to proposed legislation changes nationally, possibly taking in bottle return schemes and garden waste disposal.

Informal meetings with a number of prospective bidders have seen them highlight a “volatile and uncertain” landscape, and with bidders accepting less risk regarding recycling revenue.

The council has been approached by a local authority trading company about the possibility of Calderdale joining to deliver waste and recycling services together, while taking services in-house has also been looked at but would be “high risk” and possibly costly, say council officers in the briefing papers.

Renewing the contract for a limited period would allow more time to explore alternatives while guaranteeing services after 2024, conclude officers – but Cabinet members will need to make the choice.

The contract covers weekly recycling and fortnightly waste collections from all Calderdale homes, plus collections of garden waste, bulky household waste and clinical waste, and delivery of bins and recycling containers.

It also includes the operation of five recycling centres, among other things.

The council’s Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) said the consistently high recycling rate has been the best in West Yorkshire for more than 10 years and in the top 50 of all councils in the country for the last two years.

“As we look ahead to the future of the waste and recycling collection service, the preferred option will be the one that builds on these strengths, provides good value for money and guarantees a regular and reliable service for residents,” she said.