Operation of a refuse site

Tender description

Kent County Council is looking to consult with the waste sector market to develop a commissioning strategy for the future operation and management of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and Waste Transfer Stations (WTSs) in Kent, including haulage services. The council operates as the Waste Disposal Authority (WDA). The 12 district /borough /city councils of Kent operate as the Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs). The council arranges the recycling/disposal of waste collected from households by the WCAs. In addition, the Council provides HWRCs in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA). The council currently operates a network of 18 HWRCs providing facilities for re-use, recycling and safe disposal, for a range of material streams delivered by Kent residents. The Kent Waste Disposal Strategy 2017 and sets out the council’s ambition up to 2035: “Our Ambition is to deliver a high quality, value for money household waste disposal service for the people of Kent, with an emphasis on waste reduction, recycling and achieving zero landfill”. The strategy also outlines the council’s approach to commissioning for waste services. This includes, engaging with companies at the earliest opportunity to understand views, challenges, innovation and key market drivers to provide us with the information we need to make the best decisions about how to deliver our services. The council currently has several contracts in place to manage and operate the HWRC and WTS service, several which are approaching the end of either their initial or full contract term. The council is keen to understand market conditions before it develops its commissioning strategy. A large cost of these current contracts is the associated material haulage element, from HWRC/WTS to onward disposal points. The council wishes to engage with the waste sector to ensure that it has sought the market’s expertise in developing a future direction. The council would like to take the opportunity to invite suitably qualified Providers, who are already practised in delivering the highest standards of health and safety and environmental compliance; these experienced organisations may be invited to one of 2 market consultation days to be held on 12th and 19.10.2018 in Maidstone, Kent. The objective of this market consultation is for the council to understand how the following could be achieved: (a) Maximise levels of recycling and stop any waste going to landfill; (b) Deliver a highly organised and efficient waste transfer operation ensuring delivery and planning of logistics fully support an optimised operational service; (c) Using expertise and innovation to minimise and reduce costs to the council; (d) Maintaining high levels of customer experience at HWRCs, including providing a safe and pleasant environment and a high standard of customer care; (e) The effective and efficient use, including maintenance of the assets used in the provision of the service; (f) Maximise the financial and environmental value of waste as a resource; (g) Prevent the deposit of commercial waste (as defined in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992) at HWRCs; (h) Designation of material title and risk; and (i) Haulage options as well as potential changes to UK legislation, international markets and emerging Government strategies. Whilst haulage currently forms part of the current contracts, the council wishes to explore with the market the idea of having separate haulage contracts. The council would therefore like to invite several suitably qualified and experienced haulage companies to attend a separate market consultation day on 16.10.2018 in Maidstone, Kent. Organisations that would like to participate in market consultation and attend one of the planned market consultation days should “Register an Interest” in this opportunity, and submit to the council a completed “Expression of Interest Form” (attached to Kent Business Portal advert) to wastecoordination@kent.gov.uk by no later than 12:00 (midday) on Monday 1.10.2018, which requires organisations to provide details of the works and services you provide, and explain what they could contribute should they be invited to take part in this market consultation exercise. The council will invite a cross-section of organisations to one of the market consultation days on receipt of a completed “Expression of Interest Form”. Interested parties will be invited to attend the engagement session on the basis that they have demonstrated their relevant knowledge and expertise of the scope services (as listed in a-i above). Organisations not invited as part of this process will not be precluded from tendering for any future contracting opportunity.