The London Assembly's environment committee has today (July 23) launched a special investigation into the reasons behind the wide variation in recycling rates among the capital's 33 boroughs.
Waste is a resource that we should be using to our economic and environmental advantage. Understanding the challenges and barriers to recycling will help us to do that
Gareth Bacon, Assembly Member
The probe – which is being led by Assembly Member Gareth Bacon on behalf of the environment committee – will look at how waste is managed, the existing financial drivers to promote recycling and residents' attitudes that influence performance.
And, in a bid to rectify its position as “the worst performing region in England” with a combined 29% municipal recycling and composting rate for 2008/09, the environment committee is hoping that the investigation will reveal what can be done to help improve recycling rates across London.
Launching the investigation, Mr Bacon said: “Recycling is one of the best ways for people to have a positive impact on the world in which we live, so it is important that we look for practical ways to improve rates across the capital by finding out what works and what does not.
“Waste is a resource that we should be using to our economic and environmental advantage. Understanding the challenges and barriers to recycling will help us to do that.”
According to Defra's audited figures for 2008/09, the capital's best performing council, the borough of Bexley, achieved a 50.25% household recycling and composting rate – 35.25% higher than the lowest performer, the London borough of Newham which reached just 15.4%.
Emphasising the variation, the Assembly today highlighted that, while Bexley was the only London council to record over 50%, f13 topped 30% of which four actually achieved over 40% – including Bexley – and another 18 achieved between 20% and 30%. This leaves Newham and the London borough of Tower Hamlets (19.33%) as the only two currently below 20%.
Research
The focus of the study will be dry recycling and, where possible, green and food waste, although the scoping document for the investigation states that the “latter two materials are not collected across all London boroughs”.
The research is set to take the form of desk-based studies into existing surveys on resident attitudes and also current waste governance arrangements among the boroughs. This will be supported by detailed case studies on councils which have a “significant income stream” from recyclate.
The findings of the study are also expected to feed into the Assembly's discussions on the Mayor's Municipal Waste Strategy at its meeting on November 4. The Strategy, which was published in draft January (see letsrecycle.com story), is expected to be published in full in February 2011.
And, it is anticipated that the findings could contribute to the Assembly's involvement in the government's ongoing review of existing waste policy (see letsrecycle.com story).
The London Assembly, alongside investigating issues pertinent to the capital's residents, is charged with scrutinising the actions of the Mayor.
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