You might not think that an organisation that provides recycling services for seven local authorities across London, plus a further eleven around the UK, could possibly be a community group. Yet ECT Recycling, part of the ECT group, is just that – a company that is big enough to compete with private waste management companies at the same time as remaining true to its roots as a social enterprise.

ECT, which stands for Ealing Community Transport, was formed in 1979 to provide transport services to Ealing residents. The organisation’s recycling activities began in 1985 when it took over a small furniture re-use project and developed expertise in a number of re-use and recycling activities. More recycling services, including contracts with local authorities, quickly followed. Altogether, ECT provides recycling services to over 1.35 million households in 18 local authorities across the UK, as well as running Barnet Civic Amenity site. The organisation is always seeking to develop new and innovative services – for example, it recently started one of the first door-to-door food waste collections in the UK. In addition, in late 2004 ECT signed a contract to provide recycling, rubbish collection and street cleaning services for LB Ealing. The seven-year contract is worth around £10m a year, and is the largest environmental services contract ever awarded to a social enterprise.

This continued success means that ECT generates ever increasing amounts of income. Yet, as a not-for-profit organisation, any surplus income goes towards helping the communities they serve rather than to shareholders – meaning that the bigger ECT gets, the more they can benefit the community.

Case study issued in November 2005