CONWY CHOOSES VERDANT FOR GREEN COLLECTION SERVICE

26th November 2009 – Municipal services contactor Verdant has won its third local authority contract in Wales, following Conwy County Borough Council’s appointment of the company to manage its green waste collection service.

Around 42,000 of the 54,000 properties across the county borough in north-west Wales are regarded as potential users of the free green waste collection service. Turning green garden waste into compost makes a valuable contribution to Conwy’s recycling and composting rate, currently at over 44%.

The contract, valued at around £2 million, will run for five years and specifies a fortnightly collection of green waste in reusable sacks.

It is intended that the service’s carbon footprint will be reduced with collection vehicles running on biodiesel, as well as using the Eco Drive Assistant system that improves fuel efficiency and therefore cuts emissions.

Kelly Thomas, assistant waste manager a Conwy County Borough Council, stated: “Verdant’s approach to collecting our green garden waste emphasises cost and operational efficiencies that will benefit residents and the council. The company has a great track record and we’re glad to welcome the team on board.”

Verdant managing director Roger Edwards added that he was ‘delighted to deepen Verdant’s relationship with Wales and its recycling initiatives’.

The Conwy area includes the popular tourist towns of Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Abergele, 37 miles of coastline, and the spectacular scenery of the Snowdonia National Park.

Verdant also provides recycling, refuse and cleansing services for the neighbouring Isle of Anglesey County Council, one of the Wales’ top recycling councils.

- ends -

About Verdant

Verdant Group Plc (www.verdant-group.co.uk), part of the fast-growing, recycling-led Greenstar UK group (www.greenstar.co.uk), provides high quality, efficient recycling, refuse, street cleansing and grounds maintenance services for 23 local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. These include the company’s first twin-council contract for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils. The company makes over 55 million recycling and refuse collections annually from nearly 1.1 million households, and employs over 1,600 staff operating with 600+ vehicles. The June 2009 launch of a new recycling, refuse, food and green waste collection service for South Oxfordshire helped push local recycling rates to 70%, while the first months of an enhanced recycling, refuse, food and garden waste collection scheme for Surrey Heath is achieving 60% rates. Hundreds of Verdant’s staff hold a recognised vocational qualification following a company-wide skills development programme due for completion by 2010.

For further media information, contact:

Blair Drummond, Verdant PR consultant – tel (m) 07798 686 217, email blair.drummond@btopenworld.com