HWRC Community News - November 2024
Introduction:
In this section, we’ll share the latest news from the bookinglab HWRC community.
The goal here is to inform you of any product updates or community-led initiatives and help you connect with councils tackling common challenges.
The top four news stories from November include:
- Essex County Council's HWRC Booking System delivered for testing in record time
- We've extended our partnership with LARAC
- We've rolled out new features and functionality to enhance user experience
- Kent County Council's HWRC Account functionality is finalised and prepared for launch
Essex County Council's new HWRC Booking System.
We are thrilled to have partnered with the ECC team to roll out our market-leading HWRC Booking Service to 22 sites across the county.
Drawing on years of product development, the flexibility of our code-based platform, and a commitment to delivering rapid value, we achieved a new milestone—deploying ECC's cutting-edge HWRC booking system for testing in under three working days!
The system is set to go live in early December, transforming how the council manages its Household Waste Recycling Centre services and delivering a smoother, more efficient experience for residents.
Congratulations to everyone at ECC, and a big shoutout to the bookinglab product team for making it happen—impressive work all around!
We're extending our partnership with LARAC.
The Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) plays a vital role in supporting local authorities in improving recycling, waste, and resource management. Their commitment to promoting best practices, sharing knowledge, and driving progress in the sector resonates deeply with our own mission, and we are proud to continue working alongside them as a trusted partner.
As a leading technology partner in the recycling and waste management sector, we recognise that change comes from collaboration. Extending our partnership with LARAC is an opportunity to contribute further to advancing good practices and empowering local authorities with the tools, community, and insights they need to deliver more efficient (and sustainable) household waste and recycling services.
This partnership is not just about promoting technology—it’s about encouraging innovation and dialogue to build a community where knowledge-sharing helps everyone achieve better outcomes.
With that in mind, stay tuned for some exciting collaborations in the new year!
We've added new features and functionality.
As part of our product development process, we actively engage with our user community to gather feedback, ensuring our product continues to lead the way in HWRC booking solutions.
This month, we’re excited to share some key product enhancements designed to improve usability and flexibility for our HWRC Booking Service.
Users can now deep-link directly to the availability calendar of specific sites and services, streamlining the booking process (e.g., “Book a slot for a car at Site A”).
We’ve also enhanced mobile responsiveness and accessibility, ensuring a seamless experience across devices.
Additionally, our check-in app now includes the ability to capture additional notes for each booking, using either a free-text field or a dropdown of predefined options, offering greater flexibility for site staff.
Functionality update: Kent County Council's HWRC Accounts.
As part of Kent's commitment to continuous service improvement, they gather user feedback through bi-annual consultation surveys. These surveys let residents rate their experiences and suggest ways to enhance the service.
The latest survey data revealed a strong demand from residents for MyAccount functionality. To address this, we've worked with the Kent team to develop a HWRC registration workflow and MyAccount features that will enable:
- Residents to avoid re-entering their data for each booking
- Easier management of permits and vehicle vouchers
- More efficient handling of usage limits and address lookups
- Registration of multiple addresses/vehicles to manage waste disposal for dependents
- Improved visibility on waste origins
For residents who prefer not to create an account, the 'continue as a guest' option ensures the service remains accessible.
We’re excited to share that this functionality is now ready for deployment, with the first release scheduled for January 2025!
