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CRN/AN/PR31 To be released immediately
One of the Community Recycling Network’s largest members – Avon Friends of the Earth – is set to increase its kerbside operations by nearly 50 per cent after signing a deal to provide household recycling services to three local authorities in Somerset.
AFOE has signed a deal with Somerset Waste Partnership to provide fortnightly collections for 140,000 households throughout Mendip District Council, South Somerset District Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council. Negotiations are still continuing with Sedgemoor District Council. AFOE currently provides regular kerbside collections for 350,000 houses in Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucester and Bristol.
Paper, cans, foil and textiles will be collected but the full list of materials has not been finalized.
“We are really glad that these districts in Somerset can see the advantages of working with the community sector to provide the standard of kerbside collection that they require,” says Nick Francis, AFOE Marketing and Development Director. “We are really looking forward to working with them to make this a success.”
AFOE is setting up a local not-for-profit company to oversee the contracts, which will start in October. The company will be working with a waste paper merchant, Perry’s Recycling, to provide the services.
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“We are very pleased to have won these contracts against stiff competition,” says Dave Mansell, AFOE Development Manager. “It is very good news for Avon Friends of the Earth. It brings a very welcome expansion to our operations and it gives us a better basis on which to build. This enables us to spread common systems over a wider area and collect a larger tonnage of material but we still will be working very closely with local communities in each area.”
ENDS
Notes for editors:
The Community Recycling Network is a national umbrella organisation for more than 300 community groups, co-operatives and not-for-profit businesses in the community waste sector. Its aim is to promote community-based recycling as the most effective way of tackling the UK’s growing waste problem. Its members have achieved some of the highest recycling rates in the UK and offer separated kerbside recycling collections to 1.5 million households – six per cent of the UK population.
The Community Recycling Network is based at Trelawny House, Surrey Street, Bristol, BS2 8PS, tel: (0117) 942 0142. The CRN website is www.crn.org.uk.
For further information:
Andy Nelmes, CRN Press Officer, (0117) 908 0415, andyn@crn.org.uk
Andy Cunningham, Senior Development Manager, (0117) 908 1303, andy@avon-foe.org