A report on the Whakatāne District Council’s forthcoming solid waste contract procurement process highlights a possible change in the way recyclable material is collected and processed.

The District’s four solid waste service contracts—for the operation of the Whakatāne Refuse Transfer Station, the Murupara Refuse Transfer Station, all kerbside collections, and haulage of residual waste to landfill—all conclude on 30 June 2016. Work on procuring replacement services is well underway, and the Council is also exploring potential collaboration opportunities with neighbouring councils.

Reporting to the Council’s Projects and Services Committee today, Infrastructure General Manager Tomasz Krawczyk said discussions with national suppliers indicated that a ‘glass-out’ recycling system probably offered the best potential for reducing both the cost of the service and the volume of waste sent to landfill. Some 15 local authorities around the country are using or planning to introduce glass-out recycling, which requires households to separate glass from other recyclables.

Speaking to the report, Mr Krawczyk said significant increases in landfill fees were anticipated from 2020 onwards. “Any reduction in the volume of residual waste going to landfill will therefore help to keep our future solid waste costs to an affordable level.”

The Council will call for procurement proposals in September/October, with suppliers able to tender either on the current service model, or propose alternative approaches which may provide cost or service advantages. The potential for a joint procurement contract with the Rotorua Lakes Council will also be explored, to determine whether such an arrangement would deliver benefits for both councils. Tender analysis and negotiations are expected to be completed by early December and the outcomes reported back to the Council before the end of the year.