Published on
28 July 2026
Nearly 418,000 collections completed in first month of new waste contract
Almost 418,000 waste, recycling and food waste collections were completed during the first month of Wokingham Borough Council's new waste and street cleansing contract with Biffa.
First month in numbers
During the first month of the contract:
- 417,993 waste, recycling and food waste collections completed
- 75,565 households served
- 859 tonnes of recycling collected
- 713 tonnes of food waste collected
- 95 crew members delivering services
- 23 waste collection vehicles in operation
- Eight street cleansing vehicles in operation
Delivering services across the borough
Waste collection and street cleansing is one of the council's largest frontline services, operating every day across towns and villages throughout Wokingham Borough.
The new contract includes modern collection vehicles, updated in-cab technology and redesigned collection routes to help deliver efficient, reliable and environmentally responsible services.
Weekly food waste collections continue to help residents recycle more and reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal, while street cleansing teams help keep public spaces clean and welcoming.
Thanking crews and residents
Cllr Stephen Newton, executive member for waste and recycling, said:
"Achieving nearly 418,000 collections in the first month demonstrates the scale of the service that takes place every week across Wokingham Borough.
"Our crews work hard every day to collect waste and recycling from thousands of households, and I'd like to thank them, alongside residents, for their support as the new contract has got underway, particularly when the crews have had to cope with some extremely hot weather over the past few weeks.
"The new contract brings modern vehicles, new technology and improved ways of working that will help us continue delivering efficient and reliable services for residents while supporting our environmental ambitions."
Steve Cole, Managing Director of Municipal Services at Biffa, said:
"We're hugely proud of what has been achieved in the first month of mobilisation working alongside Wokingham Borough Council and with our new colleagues to deliver the services expected.
"It's a great reflection of the commitment of our frontline teams, who have worked incredibly hard to establish the new service while maintaining reliable collections for residents as well as the supervisors, managers and support functions.
"The first month has laid strong foundations, and we're excited about what comes next."
Looking ahead
The council and Biffa will continue working together to deliver waste collection, recycling and street cleansing services across the borough while supporting residents to reduce waste and recycle as much as possible.
