Veolia UK Ltd has taken over this month as the waste, recycling and street cleansing contractor for East and North Herts.

The East and North Herts Shared Waste Service has been in operation since 2018, and will be implementing a new collection scheme in August to allow residents to recycle more at home. 

To prepare for the change, North Herts residents will receive a blue-lidded bin for cardboard and paper during May or June, replacing the current lidless blue or black box.

East Herts residents will receive a purple-lidded bin for non-recyclable waste, an outdoor food waste caddy, and a kitchen caddy, with deliveries starting in June.

These bins will be delivered with instructions not to use them until the service starts after 4 August.

For East Herts residents, the new system will also involve repurposing some of the existing bins; the purple-lidded bin will become the non-recyclable waste bin, while the black-lidded bin will be used for mixed recycling (including plastic bags and wrapping), and the blue-lidded bin for cardboard and paper.

The collection schedule is also changing, to improve the efficiency of the services and with some residents having changes to their collection day. Three bins: non-recyclable waste, mixed recycling, and cardboard and paper will be collected on a three-weekly alternating basis. Food waste collections will take place every week, and garden waste collections will continue fortnightly for those who subscribe.

These changes follow a public consultation held in summer 2022 and a competitive contract procurement process. They are designed to meet the Government's 'Simpler Recycling' requirements, which call for the separate collection and recycling of food waste and cardboard and paper, as well as the recycling of soft plastics.

The new partnership with Veolia will expand the fleet of recycling and waste vehicles and ensure a more consistent service across East and North Herts, helping to improve overall service delivery.

Councillor Tim Hoskin, Executive Member for Sustainability at East Herts Council, said: "I'm pleased to welcome Veolia as our new waste and street cleansing contractor. This marks the beginning of a new chapter for recycling and sustainability across East and North Herts.

"I know that adjusting to a new system and collection schedule can take time, and I want to thank our residents for their patience and support. These improvements will help reverse the current trend where we're throwing away more than we recycle – something that is simply not sustainable."

Cllr Amy Allen, Executive Member for Recycling & Waste at North Herts Council, said: "We are excited to start this new partnership with Veolia who will play a key part in helping North and East Herts councils deliver a sustainable waste and recycling service for our residents by providing greater opportunities to recycle in the future.

"We understand that changes to services can take time to adjust to. However, we already know from the trailblazing plastic bag and wrapping trials in Knebworth, Sawbridgeworth and Royston, that local residents will rise to the occasion and help us realise our ambition to put sustainability at the heart of our recycling and waste service."

Pascal Hauret, Managing Director for Municipal at Veolia, said: "It's so exciting to be beginning our new recycling and waste collections and street cleansing contract in partnership with East and North Hertfordshire Councils. We're particularly pleased to be returning to districts we know well as we start this new contract. We aim to enhance collection services and improve street cleanliness, whilst supporting the councils on their journey to net-zero operations by decarbonising our operations through the introduction of new collection vehicles and electric street cleansing equipment.

"We are looking forward to working in partnership with East and North Hertfordshire Councils towards a more sustainable future that will benefit residents across the districts."

For more information and frequently asked questions, please go to: www.eastherts.gov.uk/binchanges or www.north-herts.gov.uk/binchanges