Veolia grows via contract in south London

The Veolia ES UK Ltd. subsidiary of France-based Veolia says it is growing thanks to what it calls “a major new recycling and waste services contract” covering four south London boroughs. The new eight-year contract worth more than £209 million ($262 million), with two possible eight-year extensions, has prompted Veolia to add 330 staff in April, according to the company.

 

Veolia has assumed responsibility as of 3 April 2017 for delivering what it calls “a new-look collection service to households in Sutton, as well as an ‘as-is’ (no change) collection service in Merton.” The new service will be introduced in Merton and Croydon in October 2018 and Kingston in April 2019. Veolia says it will manage recycling and waste collections, street cleansing, commercial waste, recyclate material sales, winter maintenance and vehicle management for 1 million residents in the four London boroughs.

 

“We are delighted to have been awarded the contract with the South London Waste Partnership and to continue working with existing clients in Kingston and Croydon as well as beginning new relationships with Merton and Sutton,” says Estelle Brachlianoff, senior executive vice president of Veolia UK and Ireland.

 

“Through the partnership, we have the opportunity to harmonise services across the four London boroughs to deliver significant cost savings and high quality, reliable services that will boost sustainability and preserve resources,” adds Brachlianoff. “As winners of Business in the Community’s Responsible Business of the Year, we look forward to the opportunity to put Veolia at the heart of these communities in South London and to support a more sustainable future for everyone.”

 

The move will see services move from in-house at Merton and Sutton to all being operated by Veolia, similar to those already operated in Croydon and Kingston. The moves are designed to help each council achieve cost savings from measures including fortnightly refuse collections, geared to help boost recycling. Residents will be able to recycle several materials, including paper, glass, plastic and food waste.

 

These services will operate alongside the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) Household Waste and Recycling Centres contract, which was awarded to Veolia in July 2015 to manage reuse and recycling of household waste at six sites.

 

Veolia has been operating in London since 1995 and currently serves around 40% of the population, predominantly with recycling and waste services, according to the firm. In 2016, the firm says it collected around 3 million tonnes of material from 14 municipal contracts (including Watford) and several commercial contracts operating from four depots. Of that total, nearly 1 million tonnes was recycled, composted or turned into energy via an anaerobic digestion process. Veolia operates four waste treatment facilities in London and several Household Waste and Recycling Centres at 31 sites in the region.