Turning Renewals into a Self-Service Experience

What if a process that relied on letters, manual checks and staff time could simply run itself?

That's exactly what we've achieved with Assisted Waste Collection renewals.

When a renewal becomes due, the waste management system automatically triggers a renewal request. Residents are then invited to confirm that they they still need the service. If we have an email address, they'll receive a link straight to the online form. If not, an automated letter is generated and sent, complete with a QR code that takes them directly to their renewal.

The resident simply confirms that they still live at the property and whether they still require assistance. Once submitted, the renewal is processed automatically and the updated review dates are sent back to the waste management system. No paper forms, no rekeying information and no manual administration.

Benefits of the new renewal process

The new process benefits both residents and service teams by:

• making renewals easier and quicker for residents
• reducing administration for service teams
• lowering printing and postage costs
• improving the accuracy of customer information
• providing automatic reminders and follow-up communications
• creating an end-to-end digital process with no manual intervention required

The exciting bit

This isn't really a waste project.

It's a reusable pattern for any service that needs customers to periodically confirm information, renew an entitlement, or complete a review.

We've already identified larger bin renewals as another opportunity, but there are plenty of other services across the council that could use the same approach. Once the pattern is established, it can be adapted and scaled without starting from scratch each time.

Small change. Big impact. Less admin, better customer experience, and more time for teams to focus on supporting residents.