Ubico begins delivery of waste and recycling collections for Wiltshire Council

Ubico is delighted to announce that, from 3 August 2026, the company commenced delivery of waste and recycling collection services on behalf of Wiltshire Council, with the council joining Ubico as its ninth shareholder. 

With Wiltshire Council now part of the Ubico partnership, the company provides environmental services to almost 600,000 households and more than 1.3 million residents across an operating area of approximately 2,600 square miles. * 

Established in 2012 by Cheltenham Borough Council and Cotswold District Council, Ubico has experienced significant growth over the past 14 years to deliver frontline environmental services across the whole of Gloucestershire and West Oxfordshire. The integration of colleagues from Wiltshire Council’s existing waste and recycling collection service brings Ubico’s total workforce to approximately 1,300 employees. 

As part of its recent mobilisation in Wiltshire Ubico successfully integrated transferring employees and put the necessary operational, technological and contractual arrangements in place, ensuring services transferred smoothly without disruption to residents and establishing strong foundations for a long-term partnership with Wiltshire Council. 

Wiltshire Council has confirmed a series of service changes that will be introduced during 2027 to ensure waste and recycling services remain financially sustainable, environmentally responsible and fully compliant with upcoming national statutory requirements. These changes include moving to three-weekly refuse collections, introducing the collection of soft plastics and implementing separate food waste collections. 

Ubico will continue to work in partnership with Wiltshire Council to support the successful delivery of these changes, drawing on its extensive operational experience to help ensure a seamless implementation and minimise disruption for residents. 

Beth Boughton, Managing Director at Ubico, said: 

 "We are delighted to have commenced delivery of waste and recycling collection services in Wiltshire and to be working in partnership with Wiltshire Council as our newest shareholder. Our priority has been to ensure a smooth transition of the service into Ubico, and I would like to thank everyone involved for helping make that a success.

We are also committed to supporting Wiltshire Council in achieving its long-term objectives of providing a cost-efficient service, reducing carbon emissions and improving recycling rates. We look forward to working with residents, councillors and colleagues across Wiltshire to deliver high-quality services for many years to come." 

Cllr Paul Sample JP, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate and Waste at Wiltshire Council said:

"The start of our new waste and recycling collection service marks an exciting milestone for Wiltshire Council. We're delighted to be working with Ubico through our Local Authority Trading Company model to deliver this important service for residents. This new arrangement gives the council greater control and flexibility over how services are delivered, helping us build a resilient, efficient and sustainable service that meets the needs of our communities both now and in the future.

While residents will continue to receive the same collections they are used to, this change provides a strong foundation for future improvements and innovation. We've worked hard alongside our partners to ensure a smooth transition, including welcoming experienced frontline staff who know Wiltshire's communities and collection rounds well.

I'm particularly excited about the opportunities that working with Ubico brings. Their experience of delivering waste and environmental services across local government will help us continue to provide a reliable service, respond to changing environmental challenges and support our ambitions to increase recycling and reduce waste.

I'd also like to thank Hills Municipal Collections Ltd and its staff for their commitment over the past eight years, including maintaining services throughout the Covid pandemic and supporting improvements to recycling collections across the county." 

*Data taken from Office of National Statistics (most recent survey for each area)