The mayor of London should direct a capital-wide ‘on the go’ waste-management scheme to make it easier for people to recycle while out and about, according to a new report from the London Assembly.
The report from the assembly’s environment committee says the amount of plastic collected is growing, and the public’s appetite for recycling is increasing. Despite this, there is a distinct lack of special on the go recycling bins, and poor provision of facilities for mixed-plastic recycling in London.
Darren Johnson, deputy chair of the committee, said: ‘While Londoners’ facilities for recycling at home have improved greatly over recent years, it can be a real headache finding decent recycling facilities when you’re out and about – whether on the Tube, out shopping or at a football match. The mayor must take a lead in changing this.’
London has the lowest recycling rates in the UK, and every week, people living, working and visiting the capital produce enough lunchtime waste to fill Trafalgar Square. The report claims that if all of London’s plastic currently sent to landfill and incinerated was recycled, it would save around 1.2Mt of CO2 each year and at least £44M in costs.
The report calls on the mayor and the London Waste and Recycling Board to ensure London manages its own waste and does not rely on exporting it, either overseas or to other parts of the UK, or dumping it in landfill.
The committee urges the mayor to ensure there are enough bins on the streets, in parks, shopping centres and entertainment venues, and consistent signage and symbols for on the go recycling bins.
The mayor should also work with private sector companies, such as Coca-Cola, which are keen to increase the number of on the go recycling zones throughout the UK, the report recommends.
In addition, recycling provision on the transport network must be extended to include plastics. Johnson added: ‘It is especially important that on the go recycling is in place before London 2012 so that the Olympic Games can stay true to its mission of sending zero waste to landfill.’
'On the go' recycling - the case for Mayoral actions
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