Decision

To award the contract to Country Style Recycling Limited (CRL), with the contract to commence on 1st February 2025 for a fixed duration of two years.

Reasons for the decision

The Decision is made in accordance with the delegation to the Portfolio Holders.

Alternative options considered

The collection and recycling of glass bottles is currently only carried out via the network of glass banks located at bring sites. Residents can also recycle glass bottles at the Household Waste Recycling Centres operated by Essex County Council although this is not such a convenient option.
The recycling of glass bottles remains a key part of the Council’s Waste and Recycling service and failure to provide a recycling outlet for this valuable material, which can be recycled an unlimited amount of times, would have a detrimental impact upon the reputation of the authority and its recycling objectives. It would also result in significantly greater tonnages of residual waste being collected in the district with the recyclable glass being disposed of to landfill. With a withdrawal of the bring site bottle banks the only real alternative, based on the forgoing information this option has been discounted.
A Procurement exercise is currently being undertaken for the future kerbside waste and recycling contract which is due to commence in April 2026. In compliance with the Environment Act 2021 the collection of glass bottles at the kerbside will become a legislative requirement and this consideration has been factored into the glass bank contract to reflect the Authority’s ambition to migrate the collection of glass bottles exclusively to the kerbside