Council reports ‘good progress’ on bringing waste and recycling service in-house
Thursday 17 September 2026
Bridgend County Borough Council is making good progress with plans to bring its waste and recycling service back under direct council control from July 2027.
Cabinet will receive an update on 22 September outlining the extensive preparations underway ahead of the transition. The service has been delivered by an external contractor since 2003.
Planning is being coordinated by a dedicated Waste Transition Board, supported by specialist working groups covering operations, assets, systems, finance, procurement, legal services, health and safety, human resources and property.
Additional staff have also been recruited, while specialist project management support has been secured to help manage the transition.
Preparations include purchasing new waste collection vehicles and putting in place the systems, equipment, contracts and operational arrangements needed for the council to take responsibility for delivering the service from July 2027. The council has previously approved a capital budget of £1.881 million to support investment in new waste collection vehicles as part of these preparations.
Around 130 suppliers currently support the waste service, providing a wide range of goods and services including IT systems, vehicle maintenance, equipment and waste containers.
Maintaining continuity of service for residents remains the council's priority throughout the transition.
To support a smooth handover and minimise operational risks, the council may in limited circumstances seek approval to continue using certain existing suppliers that currently support the delivery of the service, where this is considered necessary to maintain service continuity. Any such arrangements would be subject to appropriate governance, legal oversight and approval processes.
There will be no changes to residents' waste and recycling collections at this stage.
Bringing our waste and recycling service back in-house is a significant undertaking, and we are making good progress towards taking direct responsibility for the service in July 2027. A considerable amount of work is taking place behind the scenes to ensure we have the people, vehicles, systems and operational arrangements needed to deliver a safe, efficient and reliable service. Our priority throughout the transition is to maintain continuity for residents and minimise the risks associated with a project of this scale. We remain committed to ensuring that households continue to receive the high-quality waste and recycling services they expect.