The campaign encourages Londoners to find ‘just one thing’ they can do differently to boost recycling.
‘Resource London’ a partnership between the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) and WRAP is leading the campaign.
Resource London was set up in early 2015 to provide a range of support to London waste authorities helping them to save money while continuing to maintain services (see letsrecycle.com story). It also aims to help the city move towards the Mayor of London’s 50% local authority waste recycling target by 2020.
The start of the Recycle for London campaign has included the launch of a new website offering advice for residents and visitors on what materials are accepted for recycling in each borough.
Supporters
Supporters of the initiative include BBC Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney and London Mayor Boris Johnson, who said: “This is a great way to boost the environment and save money, so let’s not waste any time and get into the habit of recycling more of our everyday items.”
Mr Johnson was previously criticised by members of the London Assembly Environment Committee for failing to take a strong lead on recycling, as the recycling rate for the whole of London remains relatively low compared to some parts of the country (see letsrecycle.com story).
Barriers
Councillor Clyde Loakes, chair of Resource London and the North London Waste Authority has stated that one of the key barriers for recycling in the city is that many Londoners live in flats, which means that many people use communal bins. Additionally locals tend to move around the city and boroughs tend to have a different approach to recycling.
Councillor Loakes said: “Each household is different, and so too are our 33 boroughs, but we want everyone to do ‘just one thing’ more in their recycling habits. It will make a real difference to London’s environment.”
Communication
A new set of Recycle for London communications materials for partners have been created as part of the campaign. Communication activities include leaflet drops for around 100,000 households and vehicle livery, bin stickers, as well as print and digital advertising.
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