Banner

Click either here or on the banner above to return to the front page

* * * News for 12th June 2002 * * *

Medway: 12th June 2002

Money New Waste Contract is Looking Good

Some details of the new Waste Contract have been unveiled, and it is clear that most if not all of our concerns have been addressed. The lessons have been learned!

The new seven-year contract, which has yet to be let, has been prepared on a much sounder footing than the various contracts it will replace this coming September. Not only will it replace the various contracts currently running for different services in each half of the borough, it will also give strong incentives to both the contractor and the public to fulfil their respective rôles. Some users of the service—such as schools—will even have cash incentives to prepare their recyclables.

On the subject of recycling, rather nice boxes will be provided for the various categories of recyclables which will include cardboard and plastics—and these additional materials are permanent. For locations where the boxes are not appropriate or convenient, heavy-duty sacks will be provided. The recycling rate will rocket up from its present low level to a 28% minumum through this aspect alone, and—along with other initiatives such as the re-use of materials by the Vines Trust and others—looks set to bring us very close to the Government target of 36% from the early days, hopefully exceeding that target a little further down the road.

The new arrangement will include a new fleet of modern low-emission-fuelled vehicles with direct in-cab computer communications so that, for example, if a household should be reported in as missed from a refuse collection, the details will be relayed to the vehicle so that the crew can go back and revisit the missed household.

All recently-passed and upcoming legislative requirements have been incorporated into the new contract, along with provision for adding later changes as and when they become appropriate.

There will also be enhancements to other parts of this comprehensive new arrangement, including such diverse areas as the handling of clinical waste and improvements at the Civic Amenity sites.

Overall, with the monitoring, enforcement and incentive elements of the upcoming contract, the Medway Towns look set to have their waste management significantly improved.