New waste collection and street cleansing contract awarded

Wokingham Borough Council is delighted to announce Biffa has been appointed as the area’s new contractor for waste and recycling collection, and street cleansing, starting from 1 June 2026.

The robust and comprehensive tender process for the contract attracted significant interest from leading industry players, ensuring a strong competition and good value for residents. 

Biffa’s successful bid was selected based on a combination of factors to assess the value for money and quality of service.  

The contract is valued at about £7 million per year, running for an initial term of eight years with potential to extend for a further eight years.

The change in contractor will not mean changes to how collections work. If residents are going to get any changes, such as an adjustment to their collection day, they will be contacted directly in advance with full details.

Waste and recycling will continue to be collected on alternate weeks, with existing wheeled bins or blue bags for rubbish, and green reusable bags for recycling. Food waste will continue to be collected weekly in the smaller black caddies.

The contract will include new vehicles with advanced in-cab technology which many other local authorities use. This will allow a more effective and efficient operation which will improve communications and service delivery for residents.   

Biffa has committed to getting the services right for the borough’s residents, be that waste collections, litter bin emptying or sweeping streets.

Carbon reduction and efficient collections

A key part of this contract is supporting carbon reduction and smaller electric vehicles will be integral to the services. 

The larger refuse collection vehicles will be more fuel efficient than the current vehicles and both these advancements directly contribute to the council’s climate emergency goals.

As part of the improvements, residents will be able to book garden waste sack collections online, and subscribers of garden waste collections won’t require annual stickers on their bins.

This combination of greener vehicles, with modern technology integrated, aligns with the borough’s Communities Vision 2035 and the goals of residents. 

The street cleansing service includes street sweeping, litter collection, fly-tipping removal and graffiti removal.

'High-quality, environmentally-minded and fairly-priced'

Cllr Katrin Harding, executive member for environment and climate emergency, said: “Our new contract is part of our commitment to improving services for residents and delivering on our climate and community goals.

“The council has secured a contract which provides high-quality, environmentally-minded and fairly-priced services for the borough’s residents.

“We look forward to working with Biffa as we begin the rollout of the new contract and delivering a smooth transition for residents next June. We will continue to update residents with further information over the coming year.”

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Steve Cole, Managing Director, Biffa Municipal, said: “As the UK leader in sustainable waste management, our partnership with local authorities across the UK drives positive change, helping people waste less and recycle more, with all the environmental and economic benefits that brings. 

“We’re delighted that our new partnership with Wokingham Borough Council will provide residents with a market leading service, while supporting the council’s climate and sustainability strategies and our own commitments to social value and community engagement."