Council to pay out more to keep blue bin service going

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are to be recommended to maintain the  blue bin waste collection service – even though it is costing the council money.
Up until February last year, the kerbside collection of dry recyclable materials delivered an income stream to the council.
But since then, the volatile market for recyclable materials has resulted in a cost to the council.
Members of the borough council’s executive board will be recommended on Monday to extend the existing contract to January 2020 on a revised rate per tonne gate fee to ensure continued provision of kerbside recycling services across the borough.
In a report to the board, Cllr Judith Guthrie, lead member for environment and public protection because of current market conditions, contract rates and information from the Waste and Recourses Action Programme and the lack of suitable facilities within the area.
Household waste in Warrington is currently collected at the kerbside via the black bins (non recyclable materials), blue bins (dry recyclable materials) and green bins (garden and other green waste).
A charge is made to the householder for emptying green bins.
Cllr Guthrie says up to now, the contract, with UPM Kymmene, has worked well and the contractor has, overall, performed well.
But since February last year, the blue bins service has changed from an income-per-tonne basis to cost-per-tonne.
The council now faces two options – not extending the present contract with the likely result that costs would rise even more – or extending the present contract on the revised terms until January 31 next year while going through a full procurement process for a new contractor to take over from February 1.
Advice has been taken from council solicitors and external lawyers and the recommendation to the board is that the present contract is extended on the revised terms.
Details of the revised terms will be considered in private at Monday’s meeting.