London boroughs receive £1.2m recycling boost

It is anticipated that these projects will provide new or improved recycling facilities to over one million households, diverting in the region of 60,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and incineration over the first four years.

The grants will be invested in a variety of recycling schemes across London from introducing a new food waste collection service to residents in flats in Brent to a mobile recycling centre in Westminster.

The grants are part of LWARB’s ‘Driving up Performance Fund’ to improve household recycling services in London. 

LWARB Efficiencies Committee Chair and Board Member Clyde Loakes said: “The Driving up Performance Fund will help 17 boroughs improve recycling facilities and boost recycling rates for over 1 million households. Some residents will be able to recycle from their property for the first time, including food waste. This is a great step towards making it easier for residents living in the capital to recycle.”

Projects funded include; introducing food waste recycling to schools, improving recycling facilities for people living in flats and distributing reusable recycling bags. LWARB will also provide communications support to help councils implement their recycling schemes. 

LWARB launched the Driving Up Performance Fund for local authorities last year. A total of 13 projects have been funded with each project awarded grants from £11,700 to £200,000. 

LWARB has awarded grant funding to the following Boroughs; Ealing, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Haringey, Havering, Hounslow, Islington, Merton, Lewisham, Redbridge, Sutton, Western Riverside Waste Authority (Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth and Wandsworth) and Westminster.

Details on some of the projects to be funded are below:

• Ealing – improvements will be made to their two household waste and recycling centres at Greenford and Stirling Road.
• Bexley – introduction of a dry and food waste recycling service to the 84 households on the Lesney Farm Estate.   This will provide 100% of Bexley households in flats with a comprehensive recycling service.
• Brent – the roll out a new food waste recycling service to c.15,000 households in flats, made possible by new food waste facilities, supplying food waste recycling bins, food waste caddies and liners to residents
• Bromley – improvements will be made to their two household waste and recycling centres at Waldo Road and Churchfields.

Liz Gyekye