
According to annual data published by Defra, twenty out of thirty three London Boroughs recycled and composted less waste in 2014/15 compared to the previous year. The largest drop was recorded in the London Borough of Brent, which recycled 5.6 percentage points less. The worst performing borough is LB Lewisham with 17.1 per cent (1).
The Mayor’s household recycling target is to exceed 45 per cent by 2015 (2). However London only managed to recycle 33.1 per cent in 2014/15, down from 33.9 per cent the previous year (3). This is the largest drop since 2000 when annual data was first published.
The data release also revealed that the proportion of London’s household waste incinerated (with EfW) in 2014/15 was 45.9 per cent, an increase of 5 per cent on the previous year (4).This does not include the additional 300,000 tonne annual waste capacity expected from the Viridor incinerator in Sutton that the Mayor of London granted planning permission (5).
Jenny Jones AM said:
“In the last two years London’s recycling rates have started going in the wrong direction and even former trailblazing boroughs such as Bexley and Bromley are now being affected by this rot. It reverses a thirteen year trend when recycling rates were increasing year on year. Londoners want to recycle more but councils have failed to lay on the new facilities and are burning the waste instead.”
“The next Mayor will have to work hard to turn around this dismal legacy, by building sufficient recycling facilities and anaerobic digestors for converting food waste into green energy.”
“The Mayor’s own London Plan shows that we could be recycling 85 per cent (6) of household waste, but instead of treating waste as a resource, recycling it and reusing it, London is incinerating more than ever. And the situation is likely to worsen if the massive new incinerator, which the Mayor backed, goes ahead in Sutton”
Editors Notes
(1) Annual results for 2014/15 local authority collected waste, published on 1 December 2015.
'Local authority collected waste generation from April 2000 to March 2015 (England and regions) and local authority data April 2014 to March 2015' Table 3: Selected Waste Indicators 2014/15
(2) The London Plan, spatial development strategy for Greater London, 2011, policy 5.16 /programmes-strategies/planning/london-plan/current-london-plan/london-plan-chapter-five-londons-response/policy-516-waste-net-self
(3) Annual results for 2014/15 local authority collected waste, published on 1 December 2015.
'Local authority collected waste generation from April 2000 to March 2015 (England and regions) and local authority data April 2014 to March 2015' Table 3a: Regional Household Recycling Rates 2000/01 to 2014/15
(4) Annual results for 2014/15 local authority collected waste, published on 1 December 2015.
'Local authority collected waste generation from April 2000 to March 2015 (England and regions) and local authority data April 2014 to March 2015' Table 2a: Management of Local Authority Collected Waste 2000/01 to 2014/15
(5) Press Release from Jenny Jones AM Boris backs massive waste incinerator in South London
(6) The London Plan, spatial development strategy for Greater London, 2011, policy 5.16 /programmes-strategies/planning/london-plan/current-london-plan/london-plan-chapter-five-londons-response/policy-516-waste-net-self