Peterborough has planned to improve future waste and recycling services set out in the Integrated Waste 2020 Strategy and promoted to the community via a dedicated website www.65percentplus.co.uk. An investment of £74 million will ensure the Council achieves its target of increasing recycling levels to 65 per cent by 2020. Key investments are:

1. Energy from waste facility – design, build and operate a 65,000 tonne capacity energy-from-waste facility

2. New recycling centre – design, build and operate a 100,000 tonne capacity materials recycling facility

3. New contract for direct services by a process of competitive dialogue

4. Anaerobic Digestor to process food waste.

These developments, all on a single site, will cut the volume of rubbish taken to landfill by 95 per cent, produce renewable energy, e.g. electricity to the National Grid and provide a long-term, sustainable alternative to landfill.
    
Following a complete review of our waste and recycling collection service, the Council implemented a new four-day/week collection in November 2009. Employees now work extended 9.5 hour days from Tuesday to Friday with the following benefits:

• a more consistent, steady service for the local community which minimises the need to re-plan and promote collection day changes as a result of bank holidays
• better work-life balance for employees who now have a three-day weekend
• £360,000 repeatable efficiency savings
• Reduced mileage, fuel-consumption and carbon emissions

Peterborough has currently around 20,000 migrant workers. High levels of occupancy change and lack of knowledge has deteriorated the local environment. A successful application to the EU’s Migration Impact Fund has enabled environmental education for newcomers particularly from Eastern Europe.  

• The service was awarded the Best WEE facility by LARAC in 2006 and 2008
• Local companies, John Lewis and Indesit, donate white goods which are refurbished and sold to charities and social causes.
• Peterborough is the first city to achieve Zero Waste accreditation. 
• An information pack has been produced to enable landlords and managing agents to educate their tenants about waste and recycling
• The council’s commercial waste service is provided in partnership with Viridor

For more information
Tel: 01733 425384
Fax: 01733 425316
E-mail: mick.robb@peterborough.gov.uk