VERDANT EXPANDS BY TAKING OVER GREENSTAR CONTRACT

Sevenoaks, Kent, 20th February 2008 - Municipal services specialist Verdant Group Plc, now part of the Greenstar UK group, is expanding its local authority customer portfolio.

It is taking over the operational management and service delivery of four recycling collection contracts that had been run by Greenstar UK. They include a Scottish contract and three in the Midlands and North West.

Verdant assumed control of the contracts in early February, with staff transferring to Verdant employment and operations becoming Verdant-branded.

The four contracts are:

• East Lothian Council – Verdant will handle the fortnightly collection of paper, glass cans and plastics from 39,500 properties. East Lothian’s current recycling rate is around 32%.
• Cannock Chase District Council – Verdant will manage the fortnightly collection of paper, glass cans and plastics from blue kerbside boxes and white sacks at 43,000 properties. The current recycling rate is 44% and the council is aiming for 48%.
• Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council – Verdant will service the fortnightly collection of paper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic from kerbside boxes and sacks at 58,000 properties. The council is currently recycling 27% and is aiming for the 35% government target by 2010.
• South Staffordshire Council – Verdant will handle the fortnightly collection of paper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic from kerbside boxes and sacks at 44,000 households. The council achieved a recycling rate of 44.34% in 2006/07.

According to Verdant contract portfolio manager Chris Halfpenny, Verdant’s involvement has been welcomed by both council clients and local staff. “We’ve had an excellent client response to our explanation of our operational philosophy, service quality commitment and track record, and the staff and crews who deliver these valued services are all very keen to work for Verdant,” he said.

Verdant managing director Roger Edwards said the transfer of contracts from Greenstar to Verdant ‘made absolute sense’. “Verdant has specialist expertise in managing flexible, efficient waste and recycling services for local authorities, so it’s the right thing for us to take them over,” he explained. “We’re particularly pleased that Verdant now has a presence in the north of England, as well as in Scotland, for the very first time.”

Greenstar UK is expanding fast in Britain with continuing substantial investment in recycling processing facilities and operations as part of its strategy to provide end-to-end recycling and processing services.
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About Verdant
Verdant Group Plc, part of the Greenstar UK group, provides waste collection, recycling and cleansing services for an expanding local authority customer base in England and Wales. It makes an estimated 20 million-plus waste and recycling collections annually on behalf of its 20 current local authority customers. Recent additions to its portfolio include a seven year waste, recycling and cleansing contract for Stratford-on-Avon District Council; seven year cleansing, waste and recycling contracts for Rother District Council and Swale Borough Council; a seven year recycling, refuse and cleansing contract for South Buckinghamshire District Council; and, as its first London borough contract, a six year waste collection and recycling service for Waltham Forest Council. During 2007, Verdant also started a six year management contract for seven of Kent County Council’s 12 household waste recycling centres. Other current local authority customers include Melton, Anglesey, Gosport, Mid Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire, Bridgend, South Oxfordshire, Chiltern, Arun, Surrey Heath, Aylesbury Vale and Wycombe. The Verdant-operated Arun Green Waste Club won the Best Partnership Project category at the 2007 National Recycling Awards, and Verdant also won the Best Commitment to Health & Safety Practice category of the 2005 National Recycling Awards.

For further media information, contact:

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

ENDS

About Greenstar:
Greenstar is one of the UK’s leading recycling led waste management companies, offering national coverage. It has a multitude of service capabilities to meet a variety of needs from complete waste management solutions, through to accredited dry recycling, reprocessing and exporting facilities. It also offers an approved compliance scheme. Whatever a company's waste requirements are, Greenstar's aim is to maximise and optimise waste operations, whilst ensuring its clients stay legally compliant.

For more information, please contact:

Chris Doherty                                                 
Greenstar
Units 1 & 2 Crossways, Bicester Road
Kingswood, Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire HP18 0RA

Tel: 01296 770 777
Fax: 01296 770 956
www.greenstar.co.uk   
E-mail: cdoherty@greenstar.co.uk 

Issued by:                                                       
Heneghan PR
Rachel Watchorn
Tel: +353 1 660 7395
E-mail: rachel@hpr.ie