Kirklees Council on the benefits of their new Heritage Square litter bins

Leafield Environmental is proud to have supplied 3,000 Heritage Square Litter Bins to Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire as part of a competitive tender that completed in quarter four of 2024.

Over a 15-month period, Leafield’s street litter bins have enabled Kirklees Council to standardise the type of bins available to the public and operational staff by replacing an existing batch that had reached a state of disrepair.

Leafield recently caught up with Carol Oakden, Project Manager at Kirklees Council, to reflect on the process of installing the new litter bins, and the impact they have had on Kirklees residents.

Now that a few months have passed, we wanted to ask how the Heritage Square litter bins have settled in Kirklees. Did they help the Council achieve their goals?
In short, yes. The Heritage Square litter bins are attracting lots of positive feedback from our residents and Elected Members.  

They have also standardised the type and look of bins across the district and improved the street scene across Kirklees where we previously had a range of different styles and sizes - whilst being great value for money.

Why did Kirklees need new street litter bins?          
Our existing metal bins were in a very poor condition and in many cases presented a health and safety issue to operatives and users.

Prior to the tender, the Council undertook a waste audit that highlighted inconsistencies in the style of bins across the district which presented a range of operational difficulties – for instance, multiple keys were needed to remove the liners.

Kirklees Council made the decision to refresh the old stock with long-lasting, durable bins that were standardised in style and handling.

What Leafield bin did you choose? Did it require customisation?

3,000 Heritage Square litter bins in black with silver trim. The customised logos feature a white Kirklees Council emblem and litter man graphic.

Where are the bins located?
On-street locations throughout the Kirklees District

Why did you choose Leafield Environmental to supply Kirklees with new street litter bins?
Leafield won a competitive tender for the contract due to being the best suited to meet a range of specification requirements including durability, longevity, and sustainability.  

Did the Heritage Square litter bins fulfil the Council’s requirements of durability and value for money?
The quality of the new bins is far superior to the previous types and therefore they are making a positive contribution to the street scene throughout the district.
The new bins are expected to save the Council on maintenance and replacement costs over their lifetime due to the improved durability and longevity compared to the previous types.

They are also popular with our operatives as they are easy to open and empty. Having one key for the standardised new bins instead of many different keys is also a major benefit and an efficiency saving in man hours.

How has your experience been working with Leafield?
Leafield Environmental have proved to be efficient, responsive, and easy to deal with throughout the contract. The product is great value for money and high quality.
Leafield committed to a series of ‘social value’ pledges which they have fully delivered too.  A great company to work with – highly recommended!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Carol – Leafield is delighted to have provided Kirklees with new litter bins to be used for many years to come.

Leafield prioritises sustainability
As part of the tender, Leafield Environmental delivered five social values with Kirklees Council. These included Leafield having two student placements through the University of Huddersfield, donating 128 recycling bins to local schools in the Kirklees area, and supporting Kirklees local community projects.
We are also pleased to have exceeded our waste reduction targets in the supply of Heritage Square litter bins by 12%. This was achieved by using recycled polymers during the manufacturing process of the new bins, which prevented the production of 66 tonnes of new material.

Leafield then provided a recycling service for the shrink wrap used to package the litter bins during delivery, minimising the environmental impact of the supply chain and offsetting the transportation carbon footprint.

Get in touch for more information on Leafield’s internal and external recycling bins.