Action needed on London’s embarrassing recycling record

Campaigners demand action on London’s ‘embarrassing’ recycling record as new data shows London has the worst recycling rate in the country.

CPRE London, which is part of the A More Natural Capital coalition [1], has published a London Boroughs Recycling Scorecard 2023 [2] showing the recycling rates for all London boroughs and calling for action to lift London’s low recycling rate.

The boroughs with the highest recycling rates in 2021-22 were Bromley, Kingston, Ealing, Sutton and Bexley. The boroughs with the lowest rates were Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Wandsworth, Kensington & Chelsea and Newham. Additionally, seven boroughs reported ‘dry recycling-reuse’ rates under 20%. These were Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Enfield, Greenwich, Waltham Forest, Harrow and Hillingdon.

Campaigners want to see boroughs offering comprehensive recycling collections and taking enforcement action against persistent non-recyclers.

Alice Roberts of CPRE London said: “London languishes at the bottom of the English regions with just 33% of waste sent for recycling, compared to top-of-the-table region, the South West, at 49%. We’ve seen no improvement for ten years. We are the dustbin of the country. This isn’t just an environmental disaster, it’s a huge waste of taxpayers’ money. It’s embarrassing and it’s time for action.

“Credit where credit’s due – Redbridge and Brent were among the 20 local authorities in England with the largest increase in recycling rate over the previous year. But, as a whole, all London boroughs need to do more. Clearly some much more than others.”

“Most Londoners have comprehensive recycling services, including food waste collections. These need to be extended to all households which don’t currently have them.

“But the key is we all need to use our recycling services properly. Better communications are needed to make sure everyone knows what they’re required to do, and this needs to be backed up with enforcement action, such as issuing fines, for persistent non-recyclers. Evidence shows communications and enforcement are vital to lifting recycling rates.”

The campaigners want boroughs to set a target of 50% of household waste sent for recycling or composting by 2030 and an interim target of 40% by 2026. Boroughs which already have high recycling rates should set a target of 60% and lead the way to achieving it, they say.

1. CPRE London coordinates the A More Natural Capital coalition which, in the run up to the May 2022 elections, published a manifesto calling for (among other things) London Borough Councils to support a ‘Zero Waste Borough Scorecard’ approach to waste reduction and recycling to encourage best practice. The coalition includes the following groups: CPRE London, Epping Forest Heritage Trust, Footways London, London Friends of Green Spaces Network, London Gardens Trust, London Living Streets, London National Park City, London Wildlife Trust, Open Spaces Society, Parks for London, The Conservation Volunteers, The Orchard Project, Ramblers, Sustain – London Food Link, Thames 21, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and Woodland Trust.
2. The report summarises London data from the newly published Government waste statistics which show:

• Bromley had the highest total (dry + green) recycling rate at 49% and so sent the lowest proportion of waste for disposal (landfill or incineration). Tower Hamlets had the lowest rate at 20% and so sent the highest proportion of waste for disposal.
• The boroughs with the highest recycling rates in 2021-22 were Bromley, Kingston, Ealing, Sutton and Bexley. The boroughs with the lowest rates were Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Wandsworth, Kensington & Chelsea and Newham.
• Additionally, seven boroughs reported ‘dry recycling-reuse’ rates under 20%. These were Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Enfield, Greenwich, Waltham Forest, Harrow and Hillingdon.
• On a positive note, Redbridge and Brent were among the 20 local authorities in England with the largest increase in recycling rate over the previous year.
• However, there are no London boroughs in the top 20 local authorities with the highest recycling rates in England.