Third sector organisations working in partnership with local authorities or private sector waste management companies can certainly add value to waste collection provision, particularly where they can maximise reuse or recycling of discarded items whilst supporting social need such as furniture to deprived families, work placements and training opportunities for the unemployed and employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups such as adults with disabilities and ex-offenders.

Such partnerships can support such organisations financially, whilst helping local authorities or waste management companies deliver non-core services, and in tendering situations can add real value to bids to local authorities. Areas of particular interest include the reuse and refurbishment of bulky goods such as furniture and white goods from HWRCs or household bulky goods collections; collections of recyclate from difficult to reach properties such as high rise buildings; the running of reuse shops at HWRCs.

But these added value benefits can be difficult to deliver. Urban Mines has a long history of working with the third sector, and facilitating and building partnerships with both the private and public sectors to deliver waste services. This work, delivered throughout the UK, has included:

• Working for a private sector client to build partnerships with local furniture reuse schemes, to deliver a successful county wide bulky goods collection service delivered by the social enterprises on a business-to-business basis, whilst maximising reuse and recycling and social benefit from the items collected
• Working for a local authority to OJEU tender their bulky goods service, whilst running workshops to encourage and prepare third sector organisations to bid alone or in partnership with private sector bidders
• Working with a private sector client to form partnerships with charities local to the HWRCs the client manages, to maximise reuse of deposited items such as furniture, white goods, cycles and tools. 
• Developing business and funding plans for a wide range of third sector recyclers, to help in their growth and development, or in diversifying their business.

To understand the full scope of the social benefits of waste management contracting, read our report produced with funding from JJ Charitable Trust and Mark Leonard Trust by clicking here .

We can help local authorities and waste management companies form sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships with the third sector, supporting social aims while delivering added value and a quality service.

For more information and to discuss how Urban Mines can help you, please contact me on 01274 699400 or at peter.scholes@urbanmines.org.uk