arc21

What arc21 does

arc21 is the umbrella Waste Management Group for six constituent councils in eastern Northern Ireland, operating as a Joint Committee public-sector body headquartered at Belfast Castle. The organization develops, implements, and maintains the councils' Waste Management Plan and supports the councils in meeting their statutory obligations on waste management under the Northern Ireland Waste Strategy, with the plan determined by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Its core services center on strategic planning (Waste Management Plan, Strategic Environmental Assessment), procurement of waste treatment contracts, and public engagement via Wasteline educational materials and consultations.

Underlying operations rely on formal public procurement processes through the eTendersNI portal and local newspapers rather than proprietary technology. arc21 manages long-term contracts covering dry recycling (~44,000 tonnes accepted in 2025/26, contracts expiring September 2026), organic waste treatment (~148,000 tonnes processed in 2023/24, contract running through November 2029), and a Dynamic Purchasing System for residual waste treatment divided across four lots. The organization operates with approximately 8 employees and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification.

The business model is public sector funding: arc21 is funded by annual contributions from its six constituent councils, with no external commercial customers or private investors. Pricing is not applicable in a commercial sense; instead, service delivery follows public procurement regulations with formal competitive tendering. Leadership includes an Acting Chief Executive (Tim Walker, also CIWM President from June 2024) and a Chair of the Joint Committee (Councillor Michael Goodman), with the 2025-2026 Annual Report referencing Mark Kelly as Chief Executive, indicating a leadership transition with active Chief Executive recruitment underway as of February 2026.

Name

arc21

Legal name

arc21

Website

https://arc21.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

arc21 is the umbrella Waste Management Group for six councils in eastern Northern Ireland, coordinating waste management planning, procurement of treatment contracts, and statutory compliance on behalf of its constituent local authorities as a public-sector Joint Committee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Waste Management Services

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests) (EUAHABAC), Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL)

Keywords

• Waste management planning
• Recycling procurement services
• Organic waste treatment
• Residual waste disposal
• Local government services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Funding: arc21 is funded by its six constituent councils through annual contributions. As an umbrella waste management group, it receives public funding to develop, implement and maintain the councils' Waste Management Plan and support councils in meeting their legal obligations regarding waste management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

arc21 develops, implements and maintains the Waste Management Plan on behalf of six councils in eastern Northern Ireland, and procures waste treatment, recycling and disposal services through competitive tenders. The organization coordinates dry recycling contracts (~44,000 tonnes annually), organic waste treatment contracts (~148,000 tonnes annually), and residual waste treatment via a Dynamic Purchasing System, while also conducting Strategic Environmental Assessments and public consultation.

Product overview

arc21 operates as an umbrella Waste Management Group serving 6 councils in eastern Northern Ireland, providing waste management planning, environmental assessment, and procurement services. The core offering is the Waste Management Plan with associated consultation services and strategic environmental assessments. The organization manages procurement contracts for dry recycling services (processing ~44,000 tonnes annually), organic waste treatment (~148,000 tonnes annually), and a Dynamic Purchasing System for residual waste treatment. arc21 also provides educational resources through Wasteline materials and publishes annual reports and corporate plans. The organization does not appear to offer a software product; rather, it delivers government/environmental services to constituent councils.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waste Management Plan Statutory Waste Management Plan setting out how arc21 proposes to deal with waste throughout its region on behalf of six constituent councils, currently being refreshed to reflect Circular Economy, extended Producer Responsibility and Net Zero changes.
• Dry Recycling Services Contracted services for receipt, transfer, processing and brokerage of dry recyclable materials on behalf of the six constituent councils, processing circa 44,000 tonnes annually in 2025/26. Current contracts are due to expire at end of September 2026.
• Organic Waste Treatment Services Contracted organic waste treatment service processing food and garden waste on behalf of the six constituent councils, handling circa 148,000 tonnes in 2023/24. Current contract expires at end of November 2029.
• Residual Waste Treatment Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIWM is the leading professional body for waste and resource professionals, representing over 5,500 individuals. arc21's Acting Chief Executive Tim Walker became President of CIWM in June 2024, launching his Presidential Report on 'Turning off the Tap: Why better design can increase resource resilience and reduce consumption.' CIWM informs Government legislation and policy, shapes the future of the sector, and supports delivery of the Circular Economy.
• Queen's University BelfastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTim Walker, arc21's Acting Chief Executive and CIWM President, is a Visiting Research Fellow with Queen's University Belfast looking at the Circular Economy. This academic partnership supports research and knowledge development in sustainable waste management.
• Keep Northern Ireland BeautifulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTim Walker sits on the Board of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, an environmental charity working to improve local environmental quality. This board position supports collaboration on environmental initiatives across Northern Ireland.
• DEFRA Advisory Committee on PackagingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTim Walker is a member of the DEFRA Advisory Committee on Packaging (UK), contributing to national policy development on packaging waste and extended producer responsibility.
• National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partnerarc21 partnered with the National Fire Chiefs Council and Material Focus on the 'Stop Battery Fires' campaign to raise awareness of fires caused by batteries in the waste stream. NFCC waste fires lead Mark Andrews provided safety messaging for the campaign.
• Material FocusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaterial Focus is a not-for-profit organization leading the UK-wide Recycle Your Electricals campaign. They partnered with arc21 and NFCC to create the 'Stop Battery Fires' public safety film and conduct surveys on battery fires in the waste system.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southern Waste Services Partnership: Joint committee serving councils in southern Northern Ireland. Provides coordinated waste management planning and procurement using the same legislative framework as arc21, making it a direct geographic peer within NI's three-group structure.
• North West Regional Waste Management Group: Sister waste management joint committee covering councils in northwestern Northern Ireland (e.g., Derry City & Strabane, Causeway Coast & Glens). Operates the same statutory coordination model as arc21 for waste management planning and procurement under NI legislation.
• North London Waste Authority: Statutory joint waste authority for seven north London boroughs, responsible for waste treatment, recycling, and disposal contracts. Functions as a directly comparable inter-council waste management coordination body to arc21, though serving a larger urban population.
• West London Waste Authority: Statutory joint waste authority serving six west London boroughs. Provides the same waste management planning, procurement, and contract management functions as arc21, structured as a joint committee with member council funding.
• Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority: UK joint waste authority serving Merseyside councils with similar responsibilities for waste management planning, procurement of treatment/disposal services, and statutory recycling compliance. Operates a comparable council-funded joint committee model to arc21.
• Hertfordshire Waste Partnership: Waste partnership coordinating waste management planning and household waste recycling centre services across Hertfordshire district councils. Comparable to arc21 as a council-funded coordination body for statutory waste management duties.
• South London Waste Partnership: Partnership of south London boroughs for joint waste treatment and disposal procurement. Operates a council-funded collaborative model closely mirroring arc21's role, though serving a different UK region.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia UK: Major private sector waste management operator that frequently contracts with joint waste authorities including those in Northern Ireland. Operates broadly in the same UK waste treatment, recycling, and disposal industry as arc21's procurement scope, but as a private contractor rather than a public coordinator.
• Biffa: UK-listed waste management company providing collection, recycling, and disposal services to local authorities and businesses. Operates broadly in the same waste industry as arc21's procurement scope, but delivers services rather than coordinating procurement.

Others

• FCC Environment: UK waste services company that has operated residual waste treatment infrastructure associated with arc21's procurement portfolio. Functions as a key supplier/contractor to arc21 and similar joint authorities rather than a coordinating peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arc21

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about arc21