DORSET Council has awarded a six-year contact to treat and dispose of 60,000 tonnes of the county’s waste to an east Dorset-based company – but will not reveal the cost.

The council has confirmed the contract to New Earth Solutions (Canford) Ltd, but says the cost of the deal is ‘confidential information.’

The six-year contract, with an option of another three years, will make use of the company’s 125,000 tonnes per annum Canford site which the council, and former Dorset County Council, has been using since 2009. It will deal with the residual (non-recyclable) waste the council collects at the kerbside. Recycling, bulky waste and waste from the household recycling centres are not included in the contract.

The waste treated at Canford has organic material and metals separated out with what is left then sent to energy from waste facilities.

New Earth says it provides sustainable waste treatment services to local authority and commercial customers across the UK, helping them enhance recycling and reduce the impact on the environment by diverting waste away from landfill. The company says that as well as refuse derived fuel (RDF), the Canford site also produces a compost-like product along with other recyclable products.

The primary treatment facility at Canford will ensure that a high percentage of Dorset waste remains within the county boundary, assisting the council to achieve its waste management targets and part of its climate change objectives.

The bid is said to divert up to 96 per cent of waste from landfill for the council, improve vehicle turnaround times and increase recycling recovery by 7.5 per cent over the contract term.

Said Tim Shapcott, commercial director of parent company Beauparc UK: “We are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious contract with Dorset, the tender was underpinned by a solution to receive the residual waste from over 180,000 kerbside collections before processing at the Mechanical Biological Treatment facility in Canford.”

“The RDF will be recovered at the second stage Primary Treatment Facility, Bridgwater Resource Recovery Facility (BRRF) through a fuel supply contract. We look forward to continuing work with our partners at Dorset Council and assisting with the implementation of the Authority’s joint municipal waste management strategy.”

Cllr Tony Alford, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Customer, Community and Regulatory Services, said: “We are pleased to award this contract to New Earth Solutions (Canford). This means that Dorset Council waste services can continue to ensure that household waste collected from our residents is managed in an effective way.”

The contract, which commences in 2021 supersedes arrangements with Dorset County Council and Bournemouth Borough Council.