Dry Recycling Services

arc21 is a local government waste management group based in Northern Ireland, who act as a contracting entity, procuring and managing waste contracts, on behalf of its constituent councils. The constituent councils are Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

In 2019, arc21 awarded contracts for the receipt, transfer, processing and brokerage of dry recyclable materials. In 2025/26 circa 44,000 tonnes of dry dry recyclable materials were accepted through these contracts. The current contracts are due to expire at the end of September 2026 and the purpose of conducting this preliminary market engagement is to obtain the views of potential private sector partners on the key issues involved in procuring replacement services for the acceptance, processing (if applicable) and marketing of dry recyclable waste arisings once the current contracts expire. There is the possibility that these replacement contracts may include new core target materials. The dates relating to the contract and extension periods contained within this notice are not fixed and the ultimate contract and extension dates will be informed by this market engagement exercise.

The engagement is intended to help shape arc21's requirements and procurement strategy.

Please note that the market engagement exercise will not seek views on how the waste is collected as this decision falls outside arc21’s remit and rests with each council. It is anticipated that those collection arrangements will continue to vary both between, and on occasions within, council areas.