Waste and Recycling Services 2025

The University of Westminster is seeking a suitably experienced contractor to deliver its waste and recycling services across all locations.

Over the past number of years, the University has gradually increased its control over recycling and waste processes. The recycling rate based on material leaving site is currently 45% (this is excluding waste to anaerobic digestion or incineration). The University has plans to build on this and wishes to appoint a partner going forward via this tender process who will help it maintain continuous improvement regarding recycling and waste activity. We have set an ambitious target to increase this recycling rate to 60% by 2026.
The University is also looking to extend the number of segregated streams where it is technically, economically, environmentally, and practicable to do so. It is looking to segregate where there are opportunities to commoditise the material or at least have the material removed on a free of charge basis. The University is seeking to appoint a recycling and waste Contractor who will work with The University to embrace the waste hierarchy. The ethos of the contract is seeing waste as an asset with a wish to embrace the circular economy, turning waste into recycling, and ultimately, into a long-term asset. The University is committed to continue with its Zero Waste to Landfill Policy and to reduce the amount of waste being sent to an energy from waste incinerator, therefore reducing the cost of its disposal and its environmental impact. The University is also planning on running a number of behaviour change programmes across the next few years to target specific waste streams and encourage colleagues and students to better segregate waste. The overriding purpose and objective of the contract is that the Contractor will work with The University to continuously improve standards of reliability by operating an effective and innovative service.
The service levels will be maintained at specified, contractually binding performance targets to deliver a high level of customer satisfaction and achieve the aims of The University to increase recycling rates, reducing waste, and keeping down costs. A set of Key Performance Indicators will be agreed between the Contractor and The University at the start of the contract which will be determined by, but not necessarily limited, to recycling rates, average costs per tonne for removal of material, CO2te levels relating to recycling, number of missed or late collections and waste per student.
Contractors should be aware that if a procurement solution such as old for new or a closed loop circular economy solution becomes available for a material or stream then The University will withdraw that stream or material from this contract.
The Contractor shall work in close partnership to support The University in reducing waste and carbon emissions, whilst providing a cost-effective service. The Contractor shall manage all collected materials in a fully legal compliant, transparent, and environmentally compliant manner. The Contractor will also provide regular monthly reports and full data associated with all services including tonnages removed, costs, lifts undertaken for all streams and services. The data should include a transparent set of data relating to each lift which as a minimum shall include date, time, location, stream, container type, weight, and cost of the lift.