The comments came after London Assembly member and Green Party MP, Jenny Jones, accused the council and neighbouring local authority Wandsworth of cheating on their recycling figures by including recycled materials from incinerator bottom ash, when other councils are not.
Ms Jones criticised the councils efforts after they said their recycling rates increased to over 46% due to the recycling of metals and aggregates from incinerator bottom ash. She added that it was wholly unacceptable, adding that councils must only publish official recycling figures.
The councils have defended their positions with Lambeth Councillor Peter Robins calling for the government to allow all material sent for recycling to be included in national statistics. Meanwhile, Wandsworth added that the information about recycling rates provided on its website is presented in a wholly transparent and open way which allows residents to judge their performance.
Recycling rates
Wandsworths website shows the amount of municipal waste recycled, composted and reused in 2011/12 was 47.5% – including the recycling of metals and aggregates recovered from incinerated rubbish. However it also shows the amount of household waste recycled, composted and reused for that year was 28.4% – the same rate as stated in Defras annual statistics (see letsrecycle.com story).
Lambeths household recycling rate for 2011/12, according to Defras figures, was 27.9%. A statement issued earlier this year by Lambeth said its recycling rate had soared to 46%.
At present, materials and aggregates extracted from incinerator bottom for recycling are not included in official recycling statistics.
Real picture
However, Councillor Peter Robins, Lambeths cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said that all materials sent for recycling should be counted in the national statistics. He said: Current guidelines on recycling for local authorities in England make it difficult for the public to see the real picture. Its time for the government to change its guidance so that all recycled materials are counted in national recycling figures.
Lambeth has made huge progress in increasing its recycling rate to 43% and we are committed to making further improvements. We have increased participation in our recycling service from 67% in 2008 to 90% this year.
Cllr Robins added that Lambeth was particularly pleased to have moved away from sending 100,000 tonnes of waste to landfill to zero.
Transparent
A spokesman for Wandsworth said sending to waste to be used to produce electricity helps divert it from landfill.
He said: We are extracting metals and aggregates for use in the construction industry from waste that cannot be recycled in any other way, and using residual waste to produce electricity for thousands of homes instead of using fossil fuels. Doing this prevents this waste from being sent to landfill, which the Greens have long advocated.
All this information, including the data submitted to Defra, is clearly shown on our website in a wholly transparent and open way. We put it there so that members of the public can see exactly how our recycling figures are reached and can judge our performance for themselves.
Residual waste collected by Wandsworth and Lambeths contractors, Serco and Veolia respectively, is sent to an energy from-waste plant in Belvedere, Bexley which was opened in May 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).
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