At Frith Resource Management we are often asked to appraise different ways of delivering waste collection services by our local authority clients, so we thought we’d map the position out for the whole of the UK. Around 61% of authorities within the UK provide waste collections inhouse, and around 33% outsource waste & recycling collections via a waste management company. There are some regional patterns, with the inhouse services typically in the devolved administrations (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) and in England: the North East; Yorkshire & Humber; and the Midlands - while the highest percentage of outsourced services are found within East of England, London and the South East. The remaining ~6% of authorities, use a Local Authority Trading Company / Teckal company (LA owned arm’s length company) to provide the waste collection service.
The map [1] below illustrates the delivery types and regional differences from within the UK according to the WRAP portal. Some local authorities may currently have different arrangements as the data from WRAP may be out of date due to contract timings and portal deadlines, or where a unitary authority has recently been formed. For example, West Northants has all three collection governance arrangements from its three legacy arrangements, and Westmorland & Furness also has a combination of governance approaches in place.
Map of waste collection service delivery types across UK authorities
Reorganisation…
As local authorities reorganise and form larger unitary authorities in the period 2026 - 2028, legacy areas may have different service delivery types in place. Service unification will subsequently be explored to streamline the legacy governance arrangements.
How we can help
At Frith Resource Management, we have notable expertise in the assessment of service delivery arrangements for: inhouse, outsourced, LATCo and hybrid options; combining elements of inhouse or outsourced service delivery. Our assessments have included waste collection, street cleansing, grounds maintenance and fleet maintenance. As part of the assessments, we conduct a SWOT analysis, evaluate qualitative benefits criteria and develop cost comparison models for each service type, supplemented by risk registers to show the complete picture for our clients.
For support on inhouse versus outsourced management options or any other waste collection enquiries, contact cherie@frithrm.com or call 01746 552423
[1] WRAP Local Authority Portal 23/24 data - Dashboard | WRAP LA Portal