“Feed the cows” recycling bins in New Cross Pic: Gregory Robinson
Lewisham is ranked as the worst Eastlondonlines borough for recycling household waste. Only 22 per cent of households in Lewisham recycled or composted their household waste between 2017 and 2018 according to data published by the Greater London Authority. Despite the low figure, the borough saw an increase from 18 per cent between 2016 and 2017. Croydon had the best record for recycling in the ELL area with 38 per cent of households recycling their waste.
The London borough with the highest percentage of people recycling their waste is Bexley with 52 per cent. Newham is the lowest London borough overall with only 14 per cent of households recycling waste. Lewisham Council launched a new consultation in February to find out the barriers that are keeping residents from recycling.
Residents can complete a survey on the council’s website. The results will be published April 23. Beth, a Brockley resident, said: “The recycling services are pretty straightforward from my experience. We have a separate green recycling bin that is collected once a week alongside the normal rubbish. One thing that is unclear is whether recycling has to be put out in clear plastic bags rather than normal bin liners. It’s difficult to clarify this on the council website too.”
Last summer Croydon Council launched a new initiative where residents were delivered new bins in order to reach a 50 per cent recycling target. Tower Hamlets Council announced they were to bring their waste collection services in-house from next year. The key benefits will include faster problem solving to improve services for residents. Over the last two years, 10,000 residents in Hackney have ordered a food waste caddy.
According to the Council, residents are recycling more than ever. London performs the worst in recycling nationally, with an average of just 33 per cent of households in the capital recycling their waste. London Recycles reported that over one-third of Londoners have said they would recycle more if they had more than one bin at home.
If you want to know more about how to live a zero-waste lifestyle, check out our Instagram page @ellnews, our Twitter @eastlondonlines and follow the hashtag #ELLzerowasteweek.
