South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership (STWWMP), which is responsible for delivering strategic waste management functions to almost 627,000 residents on behalf of Gateshead, South Tyneside, and Sunderland Councils, has reshaped its bring site recycling service in a move aimed at providing consistent recycling services to residents across all three local authorities.

Previously, all STWWMP local authorities outsourced their bring site services to an external contractor. Following the conclusion of that contract, STWWMP authorities decided to rationalise the bring site service and an in-house collection model was introduced incorporating 138 1,100L Taylor Continental units across the partnership area.

The introduction of cardboard materials into the restructured service was designed to mirror the kerbside recycling service that residents receive at home and prevent any confusion when using bring sites, therefore reducing the levels of contamination in materials collected.

The containers, which are strategically placed in key locations including both council-owned and supermarket car parks, as well as household waste and recycling centres, can now be collected alongside each council’s domestic recycling collection rounds.

The refreshed bring site service has also seen Gateshead Council become the first local authority in the North East of England to adopt fill level monitoring technology, made available through netBin, an Egbert Taylor brand, in order to minimise any unnecessary waste collections across its 51 containers.

Councillor Linda Green, Chair, South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership Joint Executive Committee, said: “Maximising council resources and increasing the public’s engagement with recycling are two key priorities. Yet in a climate whereby council’s now have to achieve more with less, this is not always straightforward. However, through the support and advice provided by Egbert Taylor, we are now able to work towards achieving both, which is huge step forward for the environment, our residents, and each of the three councils in our waste partnership.”

“We’re now seeing local authorities across the UK rethink their approach to waste as budgets become smaller and sustainability targets increase. By implementing a few simple changes, which South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership has successfully done, local authorities are now able to become more agile, leaner and more sustainable, whilst retaining control over the entire waste collection process.”
Mark Jenkins, Sales Director at Egbert Taylor