Recyclable materials

The recycling materials that are collected can vary from borough to borough.

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The recycling materials that are collected can vary from borough to borough. There are six recyclables that the Mayor thinks all London Boroughs should collect: food waste, glass, cans, paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and mixed plastics.

Are there any others recyclables that you would really like to have collected from your home?

The discussion ran from 10 August 2017 - 10 November 2017

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Comments (66)

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Clothes and textiles in general, batteries and mobiles. As they're not so often discarded, maybe putting up some "clean points" where you can dispose of them.

Also clothes - how are they recycled? if I recycle a worn out garment that can...

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Clothes and textiles in general, batteries and mobiles. As they're not so often discarded, maybe putting up some "clean points" where you can dispose of them.

Also clothes - how are they recycled? if I recycle a worn out garment that can't be reused, is it still recycled? They can be used as insulation material, i've heard, or as raw material for new clothes maybe?
But most people I know think they're either resold as second hand, or thrown away.

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Thank you for all your comments so far.

What do you currently do with items that are not collected? Is there a local place you can take these to, do you take them further or do you just have to put these in the general waste disposal?

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I search the recycle now website to try and find places nearby I can take items that are not collected, or search other boroughs websites as they often have better facilities than Brent where I live e.g for small electrical appliances waste...

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I search the recycle now website to try and find places nearby I can take items that are not collected, or search other boroughs websites as they often have better facilities than Brent where I live e.g for small electrical appliances waste.

I take plastic bags to bigger supermarkets and batteries to shops with recycling facilities.

IKEA have a place to recycle light bulbs and fluroscent tubes.

Clothes I take to charity shops as they Traid bins just get ransacked by people and the clothes thrown all over the road. I've seen this in many locations where there are clothes recycling bins.

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Avatar for - Gorilla

I used to take to local recycling centre of which were two in Haringey. Now one has closed and others too far away for someone who doesn't drive.

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I used to take to local recycling centre of which were two in Haringey. Now one has closed and others too far away for someone who doesn't drive.

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We drive ours (in a diesel car!) to the nearest recycling point or dump. We try to do this on our way somewhere, rather than making a single trip. It would still be better to have local collections once a month or much more local recycling...

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We drive ours (in a diesel car!) to the nearest recycling point or dump. We try to do this on our way somewhere, rather than making a single trip. It would still be better to have local collections once a month or much more local recycling points.

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London should have a dedicated waster to energy plant to consume all non-recyclable material and generate energy, either by burning or bio digestion to create gas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste-to-energy_plant

https://cleantechnica...

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London should have a dedicated waster to energy plant to consume all non-recyclable material and generate energy, either by burning or bio digestion to create gas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste-to-energy_plant

https://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/06/worlds-sophisticated-food-waste-di…

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/eco-innovation/projects/en/projects/co…

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Plastic bags and small electrical appliances.

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I have a couple of comments about the recycling survey. One question asked what I'd do with, for example electrical goods or white goods I had to chuck out. The most appropriate seemed to be "disposal in some other place", or something like...

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I have a couple of comments about the recycling survey. One question asked what I'd do with, for example electrical goods or white goods I had to chuck out. The most appropriate seemed to be "disposal in some other place", or something like that. However I was wholly unclear whether that meant throwing them in the Thames, or taking them to the local recycling centre (usually my preference).

A second asked about putting more matter for recycling in front of my house. As I live in a small block of flats, with recycling and other bins at the back, I'd be horrified at the idea of having to move them to the front of the building, where they'd spoil my view, impinge on people walking up and down, and perhaps get overturned whether accidentally or not.

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I agree. I thought the same. We take ours to recycling points and to the sump, so I checked the 'take them somewhere where I won't be charged', but I was aware that that could mean 'dump them in the Thames' which I would never do. However...

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I agree. I thought the same. We take ours to recycling points and to the sump, so I checked the 'take them somewhere where I won't be charged', but I was aware that that could mean 'dump them in the Thames' which I would never do. However, unless councils provide easier access to recycling of electrical and white goods, people will dump them in the Thames.

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Yes, I agree, two badly phrased answers available.
For small electrical goods, I take them to the council recycling centre.
And for large white goods, I usually get the supplier of my replacement item (ie. the new fridge) to take them away...

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Yes, I agree, two badly phrased answers available.
For small electrical goods, I take them to the council recycling centre.
And for large white goods, I usually get the supplier of my replacement item (ie. the new fridge) to take them away for recycling.
The answers implied you leave them on the roadside or behind a hedge!

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I like others am a keen gardener and despite re using items like plant pots, plastic plant trays. I often have to ether put excess ones in general waste or take them to the recycling centre where again they are not classified as plastic and...

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I like others am a keen gardener and despite re using items like plant pots, plastic plant trays. I often have to ether put excess ones in general waste or take them to the recycling centre where again they are not classified as plastic and therefore go in the waste. Several garden centres used to offer a recycling service where you could both bring or take but it is rarely offered now. It feels such a waste not to be able to have these re used. Also with polystyrene trays for plants these seem such unnecessary landfill. I have asked where I can recycle plant pots on the official recycling sites to be shown that some boroughs do, but unfortunately too far for me to travel. There are also so many types of plastics that I would like to recycle but can't - plastic bags, card, clothes wrapping etc. I would love some consistency across Boroughs. I often see children's plastic toys at the recycling centre in general waste, surely there could be a separate section for toys and re usable items, which could either be offered to charities/ people who might want them?

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I sell my plastic plant pots on eBay!

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I have a WASTE RECYCLING BUSINESS using a 2004 Transit tipper and registered with the environment agency , passes its emmisions test every MOT yet TFL says its a pollutant vehicle and has to pay money to drive in London £12.50 a day + £10 a...

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I have a WASTE RECYCLING BUSINESS using a 2004 Transit tipper and registered with the environment agency , passes its emmisions test every MOT yet TFL says its a pollutant vehicle and has to pay money to drive in London £12.50 a day + £10 a day congestion -typically I cant pass that onto my customers so will have to sell it I cant afford a new truck so I will be out of business and sadiq khan publicly comes online and says "London is Open for Business", REALLY, HES CLOSING BUSINESSES DOWN !! Roll on next Mayoral Election- have you guys seen his FB Page? have a look-hes not liked at all

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I feel really bad for small businesses who are effected by this emissions charge, but you cannot make the air cleaner whilst driving fuel cars (particularly diesel) around the city. I think the government needs to help small businesses by...

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I feel really bad for small businesses who are effected by this emissions charge, but you cannot make the air cleaner whilst driving fuel cars (particularly diesel) around the city. I think the government needs to help small businesses by offering a scrapping or conversion scheme. We have to do something about pollution and every day that cars, vans, buses and lorries are driving around London, we are being poisoned. Sometimes tough measures have to be taken to tackle tough problems. I strongly believe in supporting small businesses though - you should be helped to convert to electric etc.

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The huge problem here and TFL are aware is that a Deisel Scrappage scheme will not work as owners are only offered money as little as 2k TOWARDS a NEW motor normal small businesses such as myself simply have not got another 25-35k towards...

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The huge problem here and TFL are aware is that a Deisel Scrappage scheme will not work as owners are only offered money as little as 2k TOWARDS a NEW motor normal small businesses such as myself simply have not got another 25-35k towards another truck. In my line of business also petrol trucks are simply not as strong for waste carrying so what’s my options. I also want to add I’m also being penalised as are thousands more motorcyclists through all this. TFL want me to pay £12.50 a day to ride my motorbike in London when they themselves agree that’s its only responsible for under 1% if lindons pollution but cars and black cabs are responsible for 18%. The cars older than 2005 have to pay £12.50 a day too but black cabs get off free... how are bikes being penalised the same it’s disgraceful !!!

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There should be a periodic collection of other items for people who have it hard to go to recycling centres in the Boroughs. For instance, once a month there could be a collection for other types of materials, e.g. electric, wood, clothes...

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There should be a periodic collection of other items for people who have it hard to go to recycling centres in the Boroughs. For instance, once a month there could be a collection for other types of materials, e.g. electric, wood, clothes, etc.
Elderly, disabled, and people without an access to a car have it hard to carry other types of waste to the recycling centres so an alternative needs to be provided. Or a free collection on demand that can be easily book online or by phone and that is widely advertised.

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Totally agree. The reuse and recycle centres are only accessible to those with a vehicle. What about the vast number of Londoners who this does not apply to?

Avatar for - Amur leopard

Agree, where I live people just throw mattresses, electrical and all manner of household junk out on the kerb and it looks dreadful. When we first moved in to the neighbourhood, outside our house became a dumping ground and I had to write...

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Agree, where I live people just throw mattresses, electrical and all manner of household junk out on the kerb and it looks dreadful. When we first moved in to the neighbourhood, outside our house became a dumping ground and I had to write to the council to complain and they put up signs and sent random inspections around. The dumping has just shifted to another corner and it is never ending.

But I have a collection of household junk myself that I am accumulating and need to get rid of one day. I grew up outside the UK and I remember having designated days in the year where the council would pick up specific items such as paint and garden waste at no charge.

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Wood ,iron and metal .printer cartridges and plastic .

Avatar for - Saola

My borough in theory collects food waste but in reality will only give the green food bins to single-occupied houses, blocks of flats 'are not eligible' for this service. Like most boroughs a good proportion of the population lives in multi...

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My borough in theory collects food waste but in reality will only give the green food bins to single-occupied houses, blocks of flats 'are not eligible' for this service. Like most boroughs a good proportion of the population lives in multi-occupied buildings so the end result is the streets are absolutely filthy with rotting food, the foxes having ripped open all the 'general waste' bags to get at food waste.

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I agree J3nesis it must be an issue for flats and we have the same in Enfield where certain main roads don't even have bins, so black bags are the only option, and cause additional issues on the streets.

My borough does not provide food...

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I agree J3nesis it must be an issue for flats and we have the same in Enfield where certain main roads don't even have bins, so black bags are the only option, and cause additional issues on the streets.

My borough does not provide food bins, instead asking that food waste is added to the two weekly green waste collection bins. This can get extremely smelly in summer as well as encouraging maggot infestations. I know of other boroughs where they collect Green waste throughout the summer months and stop doing so in the winter months, which seems so much more sensible.I suspect there are also some good practices across some boroughs, i.e. providing smaller bins for people who don't need huge wheelie bins. I don't understand why there is no consistent approach across boroughs, surely less separate contracts with more choices for households would also cost less for the Councils?

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I agree. I lived in a house, where we collected the food waste separately, what made much less waste and much lest smelly bins. We moved literally to the end of the road (same borough) to a well maintained block of flats and there is no...

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I agree. I lived in a house, where we collected the food waste separately, what made much less waste and much lest smelly bins. We moved literally to the end of the road (same borough) to a well maintained block of flats and there is no food waste collection. I asked the council and they told there is no food wast collection in block of flats. It's a shame as this is one of the most dense boroughs with mostly flats. I'd happily collect it separately. There is many places here around where people is fly tipping what's a great problem.

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