A NEW waste contract is set to save the council millions and keep rubbish away from the landfill.

Wigan Council’s 25-year contract with FCC Environment will see 90 per cent of the borough’s non-recyclable waste used as refuse derived fuel (RDF) to generate energy from waste at specialist facilities in the UK.

It is estimated that this will save Wigan Council £1m per year - or £25m over the lifetime of the contract.

FCC Environment will continue to manage three household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in Atherton, Ince and Leigh and the council’s Kirkless transfer station in Ince.