International waste event gets underway in London

Speaking on the first day of the three-day C40 London Waste Workshop event, Mr Johnson also told attendees, from 40 cities worldwide, how important it was for London to learn from other cities' experiences, pointing to San Francisco's achievement in reaching a 73% recycling rate and New York's success in encouraging flats recycling.

Mr Johnson compared the potential for cities to work together to the relative lack of agreement at last year's Copenhagen climate change talks, explaining that: “When governments fail to act together it's all the more important for cities to act together.”

And, he highlighted the importance of acting with “ingenuity and decisiveness” in order to increase recycling, reuse and waste reduction rates.

His sentiments were echoed by James Cleverly, the recently-appointed chair of the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWaRB), who told attendees that, despite London's big plans for dealing with its waste, the event was “absolutely not about London trying to sell itself”.

Instead, Mr Cleverly said that the workshop was “about us learning from each other”.

C40 is made up of cities who have made a commitment to tackle climate and change, and, as well as representatives from San Francisco and New York, the event will also hear from the likes of Tokyo in Japan, where gasification plays a key role in the city's waste management, and Lagos in Nigeria, where the city authorities have embarked on a major public private partnership to tackle waste.

It will also involve presentations from bodies including Defra, the International Solid Waste Association and the United Nations Environment Programme.

Mr Cleverly stressed the important role the workshop could play in helping to share best practice, explaining that, even if the membership of the C40 group changed as other cities became more focused on tackling climate change, those attending this event could find the “'Philosopher's Stone' of waste management” to help them.

And, he highlighted both the environmental and economic benefits that could be gained by effectively dealing with waste.

Mr Cleverly also used his speech to announce the award of a £362,000 grant from LWaRB for the FareShare charity which redirects surplus food to the homeless and vulnerable.

FareShare

The FareShare Community Food Network's operation, which is based in East London, has been awarded a £362,000 grant to provide 90% of the money it needs to set up a new food distribution depot in the Park Royal business area in North West London.

The network provides a paid-for collection service to the food and drink industry, distributing food that no longer has a commercial value but can still be eaten to local community groups.

LWaRB claimed that, as a result of its support, over 300 tonnes a year of surplus food would be diverted from landfill, with Mr Cleverly explaining that: “We are supporting an excellent charity to link up businesses who want to do the right thing with their excess food, with those who will most benefit.

“Not only will this mean that 300 tonnes each year of surplus food will be used by those who need it, rather than being dumped in landfill, but it will also create valuable job and volunteering opportunities for Londoners,” he added.