Transforming Waste and Recycling Services Through Digital Innovation

A London local authority partnered with Arrk to design and deliver a new digital waste and recycling service, supporting more than 225,000 residents.

The programme began with an intensive two-week EmbArrkTM workshop and moved straight into a fixed-term delivery engagement. Using our Rapid Digitisation approach, we delivered to plan with clear, consistent stakeholder involvement throughout.

The Council serves a diverse urban community and plays a central role in delivering public services, from housing to environmental care. As part of a wider transformation programme, it is strengthening its digital capability to improve how residents access and manage services.

This includes developing a flexible, open-systems-based technology platform to improve service delivery for residents, businesses, and internal teams. The council also works closely with regional and national partners to improve service delivery, increase value for money, and encourage the adoption of open standards across the public sector.

As part of its digital roadmap, the council set out to modernise core public-facing services within its Customer Access Portfolio. These include everyday transactions such as paying rent, registering to vote, and managing waste and recycling collections.

The objective was to provide a modern digital experience that enables residents to self-serve efficiently, reducing operational costs and lowering reliance on traditional contact channels such as the call centre.

We began with a discovery workshop to align user needs, service goals, and technical requirements. Key stakeholders were involved from the outset to define the scope, priorities, and vision for the new service.

Arrk then mobilised a dedicated delivery team to build and test the solution. Working in a hybrid Agile model, the team delivered the solution while meeting agreed timescales and budget requirements.

Communication remained a priority throughout. An on-site coordinator supported day-to-day collaboration, and regular “show and tell” sessions created fast feedback loops and continuous improvement.

To support long-term sustainability and cost-effectiveness, the service was built on a secure, scalable architecture using open-source components including JBoss ESB, JSF, and Liferay in line with the Customer’s own standards.

The waste and recycling platform was the third major digital service delivered within the council’s wider transformation programme, following similar upgrades to parking and housing services.

The new platform provides clearer, more consistent information for residents on waste reduction and recycling. The platform is helping to reduce pressure on frontline teams by encouraging more residents to switch to digital self-service.

Working with Arrk, the council implemented a modern digital platform for waste and recycling services that supports both current and future requirements. The solution has improved the resident experience, supported greater use of digital self-service, and provided a foundation for the modernisation of additional public services.