NEARLY 418,000 COLLECTIONS COMPLETED IN FIRST MONTH OF NEW WASTE CONTRACT

Nearly 418,000 waste, recycling and food waste collections have been completed during the first month of Wokingham Borough Council's new waste collection and street cleansing contract with Biffa.

The milestone comes after the new contract launched on 1 June, bringing a modern fleet of collection and street cleansing vehicles, new technology and updated collection routes to support services across the borough.

First month in numbers

During the first month of the contract:

• 417,993 waste, recycling and food waste collections completed

• 75,565 households served

• 859 tonnes of recycling collected

• 713 tonnes of food waste collected

• 95 crew members delivering services

• 23 waste collection vehicles in operation

• Eight street cleansing vehicles in operation

Delivering services across the borough

Waste collection and street cleansing is one of the council's largest frontline services, operating every day across towns and villages throughout the borough.

The new contract includes modern collection vehicles, updated in-cab technology and redesigned collection routes designed to support efficient, reliable and environmentally responsible services.

Weekly food waste collections continue to help residents recycle more and reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal, while street cleansing teams help keep public spaces clean and welcoming.

Cllr Stephen Newton, executive member for waste and recycling, said:

"Achieving nearly 418,000 collections in the first month demonstrates the scale of the service that takes place every week across Wokingham Borough.

"Our crews work hard every day to collect waste and recycling from thousands of households, and I'd like to thank them, alongside residents, for their support as the new contract has got underway, particularly when the crews have had to cope with some extremely hot weather over the past few weeks.

"The new contract brings modern vehicles, new technology and improved ways of working that will help us continue delivering efficient and reliable services for residents while supporting our environmental ambitions."

Steve Cole, Managing Director of Municipal Services at Biffa, said:

“We're hugely proud of what has been achieved in the first month of mobilisation working alongside Wokingham Borough Council and with our new colleagues to deliver the services expected.

“It's a great reflection of the commitment of our frontline teams, who have worked incredibly hard to establish the new service while maintaining reliable collections for residents as well as the supervisors, managers and support functions.

“The first month has laid strong foundations, and we're excited about what comes next. We see this partnership as more than delivering day-to-day services – it's about working closely with the council and the communities we serve to continually find new ways to improve, add value and drive change to ensure that the residents of Wokingham have the best service possible.

“By drawing on Biffa's experience of supporting communities across the UK, we’ll ensure this partnership continues to deliver for residents today, tomorrow and long into the future."

Looking ahead

The council and Biffa will continue working together to deliver waste collection, recycling and street cleansing services across the borough while supporting residents to reduce waste and recycle as much as possible.