London’s kerbside collection schemes have been condemned by Darren Johnson AM, as being irrational and confusing. There are 33 types of ‘dry’ kerbside household waste collection schemes operated by the 33 London local authorities, each collecting different materials for recycling in a variety of different containers [attached is detailed table of material collected by local authorities at kerbside]. He believes it is not only confusing to the 18% of Londoners who change address in any one year, but that little objective evidence exists on the cost effectiveness of these schemes and of the quality of material they produce.
Darren is calling on the Mayor of London to draw up guidance for local authorities that will help to promote best practice waste collection systems that are both cost effective, customer friendly and that produce high quality recycled material.
Darren Johnson said:
"London’s recycling collections are a confusing mess with different rules in virtually every local authority about what can and can’t be recycled and a hotch-potch of different coloured bins, bags and boxes. While I accept that a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t work across the whole of London, we certainly don’t need 33 different shemes with 33 different sets of rules. It especially causes confusion when almost a fifth of Londoners change address each year.
"Whilst I welcome the fact that London has significantly increased its recycling rates, the focus should now turn to looking at promoting a reduced number of best practice schemes for different types of households, that are cost effective, customer friendly and produce high quality recycled material"
Ends
Notes to editors
1) Whilst London has managed to increase average household recycled rates from 9% in 2000/1 to 22% in 07/08, there exist huge gulf between different boroughs, with Bexley achieving 41% recycling rate for 07/08, compared to Tower Hamlets and Newham that manage less than 15% for the same period. http://www.capitalwastefacts.com
2) ‘Kerbside Recycling: Indicative costs and Performance’ – report by WRAP June 2008
3) DMAG Briefing 2008-10, March 2008. London Borough Migration 2001-6.
4) Table of borough kerbside recycling schemes with details of material collected is attached. Data obtained from Capital Waste Facts – Borough Kerbside Dry Recycling
http://www.capitalwastefacts.com/BoroughServiceInfo/SummaryTable/tabid/58/Default.aspx