SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK and East Devon District Council are extending their waste and recycling partnership to 2026.

Since beginning the contract in 2006, SUEZ and EDDC have jointly delivered the district's recycling and waste services, introducing various green initiatives and advancements.

The extended contract will see SUEZ continuing to prioritise residents in their innovative approach, with plans to include more electric recycling collection vehicles and maintaining high-quality service standards.

Nick Tandy, principal commercial manager for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK in Devon, said: "We are delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with EDDC until 2026.

"This three-year extension is testament to the success of the partnership and what can be achieved with innovative and forward-thinking leadership."

Councillor Geoff Jung, EDDC’s portfolio holder for coast, country and environment, said: "I am really pleased that we have agreed to continue with our SUEZ partnership.

"The successful working relationship between EDDC, SUEZ and our residents has resulted in one of the best performances in the recycling industry and I look forward to another three years of increasing our recycling performance."

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In the partnership's 17-year history, SUEZ and EDDC have performed well in England’s local authorities recycling rate tables, securing an impressive top five rank for 2021/2022.

SUEZ collects approximately 21,000 tonnes of recyclable materials, 6,400 tonnes of garden waste, and 18,000 tonnes of residual waste on behalf of EDDC each year.

This equates to the weight of 227 commercial aeroplanes.

The collected waste is processed at a dedicated facility in Woodbury before transformation into new materials.

In 2017, EDDC expanded the range of household recycling items, including various plastic containers and food cartons.

At the same time, EDDC transitioned to three-weekly waste collections, demonstrating increasing recycling capacity alongside excellent customer service.

This positive shift resulted in the district's recycling rate rising from 46% in 2016/17 to 61% in 2021/22.

The next three years will see SUEZ and EDDC preparing for the district's rapidly increasing number of houses, aiming to keep East Devon an excellent place to live.