Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.

The Authority is also responsible for the aftercare of a number of closed landfill sites, which historically had been operated by the Authority or its predecessors. These include the former landfill sites at Bidston Moss and Sefton Meadows.

Background

The Authority was established in 1986 following the abolition of the Merseyside County Council. The Authority’s responsibilities are that of a joint waste disposal authority, namely the management of municipal waste collected by the five constituent councils of Merseyside or delivered to one of the Authority’s Household Waste Recycling Centres.

The Authority’s waste services were provided under contract by Mersey Waste Holdings Limited, a local Authority Waste Disposal Company between 1995 and 2009.

The Authority’s statutory duties in relation to waste regulation were transferred to the Environment Agency on 1st April 1996.

The Environment Agency is a central government body and was created by merging staff and functions of the National Rivers Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution and local Waste Regulation Authorities.

Veolia is the contractor for the Authority’s Waste Management Recycling Contract, with Merseyside Energy Recovery Ltd the contractor for the Resource Recovery Contract.