£18m Bryson contract includes Carrick waste

The social enterprise company, which has been operating the service in the borough for the past eight years, has been appointed by Carrick, Ballymena and Newtownabbey Councils in a joint contract, and Castlreagh in a second contract.

Eric Randall, director of recycling for Bryson Recycling, said: “We are delighted to have won these contracts in which we faced some tough competition. We currently process around 60% of all materials collected at the doorstep in Northern Ireland and look forward to continuing to deliver a high quality service that not only helps residents recycle as much as possible but helps the local environment, economy and community.

“We are committed to working with local buyers and over 35% of the materials we collect are recycled in Northern Ireland, helping to support local jobs and the economy. Our services also provide excellent value for money for councils, and these savings are then passed on the ratepayer.”

Bryson, which began recycling in 1992 with the launch of the still popular Cash for Cans service, provides Carrick households with a weekly collection of a wide range of materials direct from their homes.

Councillor David Hilditch added: “The Council has been working with Bryson Recycling for the last eight years and look forward to continuing to work in partnership with them to provide residents with a quality kerbside recycling service that will deliver measurable environmental benefits.

“The fact that around 60% of collected materials are processed within Northern Ireland is great news for the local economy and jobs.”

The new recycling contracts will add to the Bryson Group turnover taking it to over £30 million per annum.

John McMullan, Chief Executive of the Bryson Group, said, “Winning these new contracts demonstrates that social enterprises such as Bryson can effectively deliver high quality, efficient and cost effective public services and we are pleased to see these four councils buying into the excellent service that Bryson Recycling provides.

“We have grown from strength to strength and are now a major employer in Northern Ireland, with over 650 staff working in key areas such as energy, social care, recycling and training. This new contract further secures jobs for the future and supports the social enterprise business model adopted by Bryson.”