Veolia Environmental Services will take over responsibility for a £640m waste management and recycling contract for Merseyside on 1 June. The 20-year contract, awarded by Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) on behalf of the Merseyside and Halton Waste Partnership, will give the company responsibility for operating the area's network of 16 household waste recycling centres. Our picture, right, shows Jean-Dominique Mallet, chief executive of Veolia Environmental Services (UK)Plc, left, and Cllr Kevin Clusky. chair of Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority, at the signing of the £640m contract agreement at MWDA's pioneering Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Bidston, Wirral. Cllr Cluskey said: ‘Veolia's arrival marks the start of a whole new era for recycling on Merseyside. They will bring major new investment in public facilities and improved recycling rates based on their experience as part of the UK's leading waste management company.'