The London Borough's first phase of the scheme covered 25,000 households and is currently collecting 80 tonnes of mixed recyclables a week. The council is now expanding the orange sack kerbside collection to the remaining 30,000 households in the borough.

Environment deputy Councillor Mike Cartwright explained: "The smart sack has proved to be extremely popular with local residents and I hope take up is as good in these new areas. If so, it will put the council on course to meet the tough government recycling target of 16%. However, we are not complacent and the success of this service relies on the goodwill and efforts of residents."

Across the River Thames, the London Borough of Wandsworth has seen recycling rates increase by 123% after the introduction of a similar mixed material, orange bag recycling scheme.

Wandsworth and Hammersmith & Fulham councils are both part of Western Riverside Waste Authority (WRWA). Materials collected by the orange sack schemes will be sorted centrally at Grosvenor Waste's MRF.

Wandsworth council's cabinet member for environment and public services, Guy Senior said: "The successful Wandsworth orange sack scheme is now being taken up by the other boroughs in the partnership. Simplifying the way we collect waste for recycling is clearly the key to continued progress in the future."

Wandsworth council has also increased recycling services to flats in the borough with over 300 containers for paper and card installed on housing estates. By the end of 2006 the council wants to increase this number to 1,900 so all its residents have access to either kerbside or recycling bins. The council believes it is now on course to achieve its target of 24% of waste recycled by 2006 from the current rate of 12.4%.

Waste strategy
The reported increases in recycling come as, the WRWA in London and its constituent boroughs have published the draft joint waste strategy.

The Riverside Partnership's consultation draft is open to responses until November 1, 2003 and copies of the strategy are available online.

The seven-year strategy, which covers the London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Lambeth, Wandsworth and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, aims to "turn the great waste pyramid on its head". The strategy says: "This Strategy represents a progressive and innovative approach to sustainable waste management being waste minimisation and recycling-led whilst utilising the River Thames for bulk transportation."

Cllr Senior said: "We can all do our bit to reduce the amount of waste we produce. The new strategy aims to get this message across to the 900,000 people who live in the four boroughs."

He added: "But the strategy is about more than just recycling - it's aiming to raise awareness amongst Londoners of the need to cut back on the amount of rubbish we throw out."

The WRWA, which produces over 500,000 tonnes of waste each year, has a 30 year contract with the waste management company, Cory Environmental worth £700 million (see letsrecycle.com story).

Western Riverside Waste Authority has a recycling rate of 9.5% and its targets set by the government are to reach a recycling rate of 16% by 2003/4 and 24% in 2005/6.