Triple your recycling Londoners told

Londoners should aim to recycle three times as much of their waste as they do at present or the city could face fines running into the billions for missing targets.


Launching a public awareness campaign aimed at driving the waste message home this week, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: “The gulf between what Londoners say they are recycling and what is required is still huge.

“In London we are recycling just over 20% of our rubbish, yet when we asked Londoners if they are recycling, 93% of people said they are recycling paper and 90% say they are recycling glass all the time.

“If we don’t recycle, our rubbish gets tipped into vast landfill sites in the home counties which are fast running out or it gets burnt, adding to our contribution to climate change. I am today calling on all Londoners to live up to their claims and wishes and get recycling.”

The campaign publicity shows an ‘annoying bin bag’ looking to be fed with all sorts of household rubbish, under the slogan Starve Your Bin.

If the city does not improve its recycling dramatically, it faces fines estimated at £1.7bn for failing to meet Government targets under the Landfill Directive.

Londoners have two years to meet these requirements.

Fines on the city are likely to translate into tax rises as the administration will need to find the cash to pay them.

Although surveys show that, when asked, the vast majority of Londoners say they responsible recyclers, the claims do not match the reality.

Currently the household recycling rate stands at about 20% while a further 60% of the contents of the average bin bag could still be recycled.

Sam Bond

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