The Collaborating Local Authorities in Resource Efficiency (CLAIRE) Wales Group announce that Goldstone Books are the successful bidder as the framework winning supplier for the collection of media materials for reuse and recycling from household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) and bring sites.
The framework agreement, led by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (MTCBC), allows for the formation of call-off contracts by CLAIRE Wales members to access this service from 1st April 2022 until 28th February 2025, with the option to extend for a further year.
Cllr David Hughes, Portfolio member for Neighbourhood Services at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council stated that “It is good that this arrangement provides a service to the residents of the County Borough to dispose of used books, CDs and DVDs in a sustainable way, allowing others to benefit by re-using these items. As the framework, led by MTCBC, has been adopted by other Councils in Wales there is an efficient, standardised contract that benefits from economies of scale.”
Cllr Helen Cunningham, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Place and Environment said “This unique collection scheme gives a new lease of life to CDs, books and DVDs so that they can continue to be enjoyed, while also providing a central place where they can safely deposited, collated and, if unusable, recycled responsibly. Not only is this excellent partnership work in action but it’s also a recycling solution that can be used throughout Wales.”
Goldstone Books hosted a site tour in late August 2022 for a group of Council Officers, see photo below. Collections of media materials from across member Council sites are transported to Goldstone Books HQ at Llandybie for processing.
Typically eight tonnes of media materials are collected under the framework each week. The items are firstly rough sorted as either economically viable for reuse (~70%) or sent straight for recycling (~30%). Books suitable only for recycling can be worn, damaged, wet or a title that is extremely popular and not unique enough for commercial resale. CDs and DVDs need to be in excellent quality order with the plastic casing, branding and any supporting paperwork.
A fine sort takes place next, and titles logged in Goldstone Books software system and filed amongst their 700,000 plus books on shelves. Each day over 2,000 books re-enter the economy from purchasers all over the world. Goldstone Books have a retail shop in Carmarthen where reused books are sold direct to the public.
Ashley Stamford-Plows, Founder, Goldstone Books says “The circular economy, re-use and recycling has never been more important. We are therefore delighted to have been chosen as the preferred supplier to continue collecting, re-using and recycling waste media from over fifty local authority recycling centres across Wales, ensuring that everything we collect enters the circular economy or is recycled responsibly with nothing going to landfill.”
James Kay, Regional Waste Co-ordinator, Resource Efficiency Wales says “I’m really pleased that books, CDs and DVDs continue to be reused and recycled in Wales by the CLAIRE Wales Group. Collectively we are implementing the waste hierarchy, keeping greater value in Wales, as we move beyond recycling. We are all excited about the opportunities working as a group of Councils with Goldstone to increase circular economy opportunities during this framework.”
As of October 2022 nine of the CLAIRE Wales Group have signed up to this call-off contract for media materials reuse and recycling from HWRCs and bring sites; Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cardiff City Council, Carmarthenshire County Council, Monmouthshire County Council, Newport City Council, Powys County Council and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council.
