A new £24m waste collection contract in Hampshire has been approved for up to eight years.

Hampshire County Council's executive member for countryside and regulatory services Councillor Russell Oppenheimer approved the procurement of the new contract on his decision day on Monday, September 18.

The council will fund £8m of the contract from its revenue budgets. 

This contract, which is currently held by with Suez, will manage commercial waste collection, disposal, and recycling from 829 properties, including 164 owned by Hampshire County Council.

It will cover schools, as well as partner authorities such as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary/OPCC, and Portsmouth City Council.

During the 2022/23 contract, Suez collected, disposed of and recycled a total of 8,902.88 tonnes of waste.

Hampshire schools spent the most on waste collection last year, with a total of £1,018,499.73, followed by Hampshire County Council £560,952.72, Portsmouth City Council £228,748.79, and Hampshire Constabulary £127,410.39.

The new contract could last up to eight years, with a break of six years to coincide with a larger waste disposal contract in 2030.

Veolia handles Hampshire’s household waste on a different contract. 

The council will now put the contract out for tender, with the contract awarded in early 2024.