The council’s cabinet will be asked to agree the council’s ‘preferred bidder’ for its recycling, waste and street cleansing contract on Monday 16 September.
The report provides an update on the procurement process and will also be considered by the place scrutiny committee on Wednesday 11 September.
The preferred bidder cannot be named at this stage for legal reasons but can be announced after the legally required 10 day 'standstill period' has passed.
As part of the new scheme, food waste will continue to be collected weekly. How and when recycling is collected will be confirmed once the preferred bidder is in place. The few things left over which can't be recycled and currently go in a black bag will be collected fortnightly. Most homes will also switch from plastic sacks to wheeled bins for both recycling and waste that cannot be recycled.
Cllr Lydia Hyde, cabinet member for climate, environment and waste, says: "In October 2023, the previous administration determined that we would change to alternate weekly collections, and since then the bidders have been preparing bids on this basis. Following the submissions of these bids, these have been extensively evaluated for quality, cost, and robustness of the proposed solution. A decision on the preferred bidder will now be made by Cabinet on 16 September. If agreed, all bidders will be informed of our decision on 17 September. This will start the legally required 'standstill period' which lasts for ten days ahead of full contract award.
"At this stage, to protect the integrity of the procurement process, ensure it remains open and fair, and protect taxpayer's money we cannot comment further until the announcement of the preferred bidder. The new contract will officially start on 5 April 2025, but after this the successful contractor will need time to transition to the new scheme. So, we do not expect any major changes to how recycling and waste is collected until the end of October 2025.
"Naturally, residents have lots of questions, concerns, and ideas regarding the new scheme, and we are committed to engaging with the public in response as soon as we are able. There will be much communication between the successful contractor, council and residents between April and October 2025. In the meantime, please visit our web page to see our frequently asked questions and answers.
"This administration is committed to restoring civic pride and we recognise the importance of having an effective waste contract as part of that mission. As the cabinet member, I have been scrutinising the contract detail for months alongside officers and making sure we are putting in every mechanism to prepare us for this change. Work will continue to assess housing and HMOs across the city to ensure that the scheme works for everyone, and we will continue to support those that need assisted collections for example. There will also be some exciting innovations and use of modern technology that will be introduced with the change that will provide the best digital experience, support residents to recycle more and improve our street cleansing processes for example."