This database lists all known active waste disposal and collection contracts held by local councils across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as of March 2019. The following details (where available) are listed for each contract: local authority name; waste partnership details; contract reference number; contract status (open tender, closed tender, active, nearing completion, ended); service provided (collection, processing, disposal); details of shared contract arrangements (if applicable); contract type (e.g. PFI); contract title; supplier name; description of services delivered; total contract value; annual contract value; contract start date; contract end date; contract award date; contract review date; duration of initial contract period (in months); total length of possible extension period (in months); total overall contract period, including extensions (in months); number of extension lots; detailed break-down of extension lots (in months – e.g. 2 x 12 month extensions); number of extensions already taken; notes (additional observations, often related to news reports concerning particular contracts). The dataset provides a snapshot of the UK’s waste management services as of March 2019, and lists the contractual arrangements through which these services are delivered. Specifically, it provides: an overview of the major players responsible for the delivery of UK waste management services; an estimate of the amount of money that is spent annually by local councils on services of particular kinds; an overview of the kinds of waste management service that are currently being prioritized by local councils; a summary of the ways in which responsibility for waste management is currently being shared across regions; a comprehensive summary of the value and duration of the current waste management arrangements in place around the UK; a means of identifying contracts that are nearing their conclusion. The database has been designed to dynamically update, highlighting contracts that are within a year of their conclusion.

Please read the data guidance document attached for a complete breakdown of the dataset methodology, its variables, and its limitations. Data collection was conducted in three waves: 1) searching aggregated contracts within national and regional procurement portals; 2) directly searching for information on contracts held by specific councils (through council websites and news reports); and 3) submitting freedom of information requests.