Recycling centres to open 7 days a week as new contracts set to launch
04 February 2025
Residents will soon be able to take their waste to recycling centres across West Northants 7 days a week offering a better service and value for money this spring.
Starting from 1 April, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) will enter a new contract with FCC Waste Services, better known as FCC Environment, to manage all six recycling centres across the area – Sixfields, Ecton Lane, Daventry, Towcester and Brixworth Household Recycling Centres and Farthinghoe Recycling and Reuse Centre.
Feedback from residents helped shape the future of waste and recycling services in West Northants as part of the development of its Resources and Waste Strategy in 2023. Their feedback highlighted that they want to have access to reuse, recycle and dispose of their waste more often and at a time that is convenient for them. Having previously been open on certain days of the week, all centres will open seven days a week from 10am to 4pm from 1 April 2025.
In the near future, other service improvements as a result of the new contract with FCC Environment, will also include a new onsite reuse shop at Sixfields Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) to complement the existing shop at Farthinghoe. The reuse shops will be operated via a charity partner and, residents will be able to visit the recycling centres and shop to donate items suitable for reuse/sale during opening hours of 10am – 4pm.
WNC has also awarded a second contract for the treatment of residual waste, which is the waste that is collected in residents’ black bins or sacks, and which cannot be recycled, to Thalia Waste Management. Residents will see no changes to their current collection arrangements because of this new contract.
This contract, which will also start on 1 April 2025, will ensure at least 95% of residual waste will be treated, significantly reducing the amount sent to landfill.
The new contract will not limit changes that can be made to kerbside waste collections, meaning the Council can maximise the amount of recycling in West Northamptonshire.
“The signing of these two new contracts will improve our recycling centres and provide greater convenience to people, which is great news. We’ve listened to people’s feedback, and by opening them seven days a week and introducing a new reuse shop at the Sixfields centre, we are making it easier than ever for people to recycle and dispose of their waste responsibly. Both contracts reflect our commitment to sustainability and delivering value for money to our communities.”Cllr Rebecca Breese, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Waste
“We are delighted to have been appointed to manage the six recycling centres across WNC until 2040. We are focused on providing over 425,000 residents with a welcoming and efficient household waste reuse and recycling service and we are looking forward to helping them reduce, reuse and recycle more than ever before"Steve Longdon, Chief Executive Officer of FCC Environment
The two contracts will be in place until 2040 and the signing of them will be noted at the Council’s Cabinet meeting on 11 February.
More information about our HWRCs can be found on our website.