There are 20 candidates standing, encompassing representatives from traditional political parties to YouTubers.
According to a poll conducted by research agency Opinium from 7 April, Labour’s Sadiq Khan is in the lead with 51% of votes, with Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey second on 29%, and Lib Dem Luisa Porritt and Green Sian Berry tied for third on 8%.
Letsrecycle.com takes a look below at the policies relating to waste and recycling contained within the manifestoes of the Labour Party, the Conservatives, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats.
Labour Party
Labour’s Sadiq Khan is current mayor and standing for re-election. He says environmental sustainability, with a specific mission to deliver a green new deal for the city, is at the heart of the London Recovery Board’s work.
He says he would commit in his next term to a 10-point Green New Deal, which includes policies relating to waste.
Mr Khan says he would also lead efforts to make London a zero-waste city by working with local authorities and communities to prevent, re-use, recycle or recover waste. He pledges to push all 32 boroughs to provide the ‘full range’ of doorstep waste collections, including food waste, and work with London’s food sector to reduce waste.
He says he will continue to oppose new incineration in London and ensure that where it already exists, it is working to the ‘highest standards’ and capturing energy from waste to heat local houses.
London should be allowed to decide for itself whether a disposable coffee cup tax or a glass bottle deposit scheme works for the city, Mr Khan says.
Conservatives
Mr Khan’s main rival is Conservative party candidate Shaun Bailey. Mr Bailey says that if elected mayor he would use the River Thames more as a means to transport waste and reduce road congestion.
He says he would amend the mayor’s Transport Strategy and work with the Port of London Authority to ensure that the transport of waste on the Thames is prioritised, “taking pressure off London roads and cleaning up London’s air quality”.
Mr Bailey pledges to implement new green tech to reduce London’s carbon footprint. He cites plastic road company MacRebur’s use of plastic waste to pave roads as an example.
And, Mr Bailey says he would establish a fund to ensure every borough in London had the infrastructure and support it needed to save food waste and combat food poverty.
Green Party
The manifesto containing the most references to waste and recycling was that issued by the Green Party. Ms Berry outlined plans to make London a ‘zero-waste’ city, encompassing food, single use plastic, and overall resource use.
Ms Berry says she would set primary waste reduction targets which would underpin all new work and policies to reduce the ‘stuff turnover’ in the city’s economy. This includes a commitment to opening no new ‘incinerators’ under a Green Mayor.
Ms Berry said: “Whether it’s good food that could have gone in bellies rather than a bin, or the scourge of single use plastic bottles cluttering our streets, everyone hates waste. I will work with businesses, citizens, councils and community groups to make London a truly zero waste city.
“This has to be at the heart of our mission to transform our economy. We can’t go on with the old way of doing things where things are made to break down and be thrown away. We need a new model where we share things we don’t need to own, fix things which can be mended, and value things rather than send them to landfill.”
The Greens would also fund policies designed to increase the prevalence of reuse and repair across the city. Working with campaigners, Ms Berry would create a fund to help councils turn empty high street lots and council buildings into a ‘repair centre’, along with funding repair workshops in colleges and universities.
Liberal Democrats
Ms Porritt, the Liberal Democrat candidate, does not refer explicitly to waste or recycling in her manifesto.
Instead, the Lib Dems emphasise the importance of clean air, proposing policies such as fast-tracking the greening of London’s buses, ensuring the entire fleet is electric or hydrogen by 2028.
Ms Porritt also commits to “clean, green” public transport projects, including includes pushing ahead with Crossrail Two, extending the Bakerloo Line and contributing more towards the repair of Hammersmith Bridge.
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