London Environment Strategy consultation
Stage: Policy publishedThe draft London Environment Strategy was published for a 14-week public consultation between the 11 August and 17 November 2017.
Closed
893 Londoners have responded | 26/07/2017 - 17/11/2017
To what extent do you think about the environment when making food choices? Do you tend to recycle packaging or food waste? If not, why not? What would encourage you do to more?
The discussion ran from 10 May 2018 - 29 August 2018
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Community Member 5 years agoFood waste recycling in Barnet is under threat because the council says it will save money, something on which have yet to provide evidence that the savings are real. But looking into this more and speaking with four different London based...
Show full commentFood waste recycling in Barnet is under threat because the council says it will save money, something on which have yet to provide evidence that the savings are real. But looking into this more and speaking with four different London based Anaerobic Digester (AD) operators this seems to be the obvious solution for all London boroughs. Food waste is used to produce methane which burned to generate electricity. Because food crops are grown quickly it has a neutral carbon impact (it's not like burning trees which take 50 years to grow back). Also the left over digestate is sold to farmers as a direct replacement for chemical fertilisers. AD should be something that all London boroughs are forced to adopt. To get more people to separate out their food waste we should educate the children as to how AD works and why it is better for the environment than burning it. Organising school trips to ADs in London would also help because they are most likely to influence their parents to separate out the waste. At the same time we need to encourage retailers to sell more produce individually so we aren't forced to buy larger packs with some of it then thrown away.
Show less of commentSarah Jane Taylor
Community Member 5 years agoGreen issues are a massive concern when buying food. I compost and grow (organic) veg. I eat meat, but deliberately avoid meat a few times a week (sustainability). I consider food miles, buying local when I can. There really should be tax...
Show full commentGreen issues are a massive concern when buying food. I compost and grow (organic) veg. I eat meat, but deliberately avoid meat a few times a week (sustainability). I consider food miles, buying local when I can. There really should be tax on food coming from the other side of the world (I believe we are forced to subsidise it instead, through tax money?) I try to avoid palm oil but it is hard: there should be only one clear name for palm oil legally permitted in Ingreditents lists. Even "sustainable" palm oil growing has a negative impact.
I often seek out Fairtrade products, those which are kind to people are often kinder to nature as well. I reuse and recycle because I hate waste and I use my own shopping bags.
But I question your motives for this request for opinions.
Surely the vast majority of those bothering to leave replies (to a question like this) will be like-minded. It does not give a fair overall picture of the thoughts of Londoners generally.
Show less of commentsallyth
Community Member 5 years agoIt would be good to get the truth about final destinations of our recycling efforts - does it actually get re used or end up in land fill? I also agree with 'the Docker' easier clearer instructions on recycling and same for all councils - ...
Show full commentIt would be good to get the truth about final destinations of our recycling efforts - does it actually get re used or end up in land fill? I also agree with 'the Docker' easier clearer instructions on recycling and same for all councils -
Why is it still impossible to re-cycle cling film?
Show less of commentGeneral Genius
Community Member 5 years agoThere needs to be more info about reasons for recycling. The 20somethings just do not seem to bother, even when there are recycling bins right in front of them.
there could be clearwr information about things like
videp tapes
old cds
ti...
Show full commentThere needs to be more info about reasons for recycling. The 20somethings just do not seem to bother, even when there are recycling bins right in front of them.
there could be clearwr information about things like
videp tapes
old cds
tin foil
lightbulbs
jiffy bags
fabric
paper with foil or glitter on it (Christmas cards)
tetra paks
and should we leave bottle tops and lids on or take them off?
a league table for each borough would be nice, and a chart where you can see who recycles what.
In Westminster we get 7 general refuse collections per week from the doorstep but only 1 recycling one. Our recycling is much more than 1/8 of our waste. No where to store it though!
willmow
Community Member 5 years agoThe environment is very much on our radar when buying food - producers' envionmental impact / transportation food miles / seasonality / packaging... In short, organic, local, seasonal and minimal to zero packaging. We produce virtually no...
Show full commentThe environment is very much on our radar when buying food - producers' envionmental impact / transportation food miles / seasonality / packaging... In short, organic, local, seasonal and minimal to zero packaging. We produce virtually no cooked food waste (occasional bacon rind, lots of cheese rind :) and all raw organic waste goes in the compost of our small garden. Regarding packaging (and now I'm talking packaging in general), I am extremely suspicious about what really happens to what we put in the recycling bin. Our council is very lax about what they accept (I've seen bin men take recycling bins full of landfill-type waste - lazy householders, lazy operatives).
Show less of commentAnonymous - account deleted
Community Member 5 years agoI believe veg and fruit should not be sold in plastic containers/film. Plastic bags should be banned (and supermarkets should provide brown paper bags like the grocers used to do).
i will not buy veg/fruit ridiculously incased in plastic...
Show full commentI believe veg and fruit should not be sold in plastic containers/film. Plastic bags should be banned (and supermarkets should provide brown paper bags like the grocers used to do).
i will not buy veg/fruit ridiculously incased in plastic and feel the government should make more of an effort to stop this practice.
I have a wormery so compost all scraps (I’m vege so no meat/dairy scraps).
more should be done by everyone to avoid plastic.
i have stopped going to my local Chinese takeaway in Northolt and now go to one in Greenford as they use plastic containers and the Greenford one uses tin/card containers.
i recycle all glass, tin cans etc. I have a wood burner and burn card /paper as I live on the canal and often see sack fills of supposedly recycled items (plastic, carrier bags, glass, card) floating past.
i have literally pulled bagfuls of waste from the canal. It’s disgusting! The poor wildlife, it also drags the whole area down, making it a place you don’t want to be! Utterly depressing.
Show less of commentAnonymous - account deleted
Community Member 5 years agoI avoid buying anything in plastic but would really like to compost but my kitchen too small for scraps bin.
JBviews
Community Member 5 years agoI aim to recycle as much packaging as possible, and all food waste. I do not think about the environment when making food choices.
Judith L
Community Member 5 years agoWe have 3 compost bins and my partner composts as much as possible and then when it all breaks down he uses the soil fin the garden. We separate our plastics and paper and it is collected every fortnight but of course this isn't the case...
Show full commentWe have 3 compost bins and my partner composts as much as possible and then when it all breaks down he uses the soil fin the garden. We separate our plastics and paper and it is collected every fortnight but of course this isn't the case in all areas.
In some countries they have large bins at the end of the street and this seems to work well. Perhaps it would work here (but I'm not sure the people living near the bins would agree). There is definitely too much plastic but we have all become used to it., However, people do seem to be becoming more aware of environmental issues.
A unifom system that works and is regularly carried out could work in time. Afterall, most of us have come round to the idea of not using plastic bags.
Show less of commentSkie
Community Member 5 years agoI try to recycle paper and food packaging. I am disappointed that plastic film in food packaging is often non-recyclable. In other European countries this is not the case.
Show full commentI find it more difficult to collect and recycle food waste, so I...
I try to recycle paper and food packaging. I am disappointed that plastic film in food packaging is often non-recyclable. In other European countries this is not the case.
Show less of commentI find it more difficult to collect and recycle food waste, so I make less of an effort. Lving in a flat, it is already something of a burden on space to store paper and tins before putting them in recycling bins outside. With food waste, you have the added issue of smell. My council provides food waste bsaskets to put outside but they are smaller than the bins provided for other waste and recycling, and sometimes they get removed - probably stolen or placed in other neighbours' front gardens by the bin men.
eileenjiun
Community Member 5 years agoWe started composting about 10 years ago. It is great, as we can use the compost in our garden. I put almost all kitchen waste (except solids like bones and seashells) into the compost bin, even fat and oil in jars, together with some...
Show full commentWe started composting about 10 years ago. It is great, as we can use the compost in our garden. I put almost all kitchen waste (except solids like bones and seashells) into the compost bin, even fat and oil in jars, together with some shredded paper, and 9 months later we have some lovely compost to fertilise our garden. It is very easy, there is no smell, and even though the bin gets quite full in winter, once the worms start working it all just collapses away. I would recommend it to anyone with a bit of out-of-the-way space.
Other than composting, and the widely available paper, glasses and can recycling, we also separate our plastic from general waste. By doing this, we know roughly how much of our rubbish is made up of plastic, which is a lot! We only have a small bag of general waste each week (two for a fortnightly collection) but every week we collect a big bag of plastic to take to our local recycling centre (where it currently just lands in the ‘household waste’ skip). This has led me to think about buying more fruit and vegetable without packaging: when I do my grocery shopping, if I see vegetables in plastic packaging I will think about what I need to do with the packaging when I get home. So I will opt for non-packaging items if possible, as well as larder items like sugar and oat in paper rather than plastic packaging.
Once we start recycling, we will get into a habit of thinking more about recycling. Retailers don’t seem to care very much about recycling. Wouldn’t it be nice if they collected plastic fruit punnets for reuse, use paper packaging instead of plastic? Or if we could refill liquid detergents in our old bottles? Retailers are not the only ones to blame, as there are many consumers who can’t be bothered with recycling. I don’t jump with joy at sorting out our rubbish, but it’s not such a chore, and our attitude, society’s attitude towards recycling has to change for the long term benefits.
Show less of commentorlandogibbons11
Community Member 5 years agoI think about the environment all the time when making food choices. I think about the carbon emissions associated with how far it's travelled to get here, the environmental impact of producing the foods contained within it and the type and...
Show full commentI think about the environment all the time when making food choices. I think about the carbon emissions associated with how far it's travelled to get here, the environmental impact of producing the foods contained within it and the type and how much packaging the food is contained within.
There is not enough information given to consumers on the environmental impact of their food choices - It should be mandatory to present this information in a similar way to nutritional information, from water intensity to land usage and carbon emissions associayed with transport and production.
Additionally, food retailers use far too much composite packing (e.g. card lined with a plastic film, paper and plastic composites) that is not recyclable. I recycle (or re-use) food packaging where possible and try to minimise the amount of non-recyclable food packaging I buy, but this is very difficult to do consistently. Food retailers should be incentivised (or forced) to minimise packaging, and use single material recyclable packaging. Biodegradable packaging also sounds good but I believe that even if it is biodegradable it still takes a very long time to degrade, so maybe this is not an appropriate solution.
Show less of commentEnsom
Community Member 5 years agoI have started to shop at a local zero waste food shop so I try to avoid packaging where I can. I agree with other comments about the need to have better access to composting - As I live in a flat, I don't have access to a garden so I...
Show full commentI have started to shop at a local zero waste food shop so I try to avoid packaging where I can. I agree with other comments about the need to have better access to composting - As I live in a flat, I don't have access to a garden so I would really value having kerbside collections or a nearby drop off point.
I also think that we should be investing in the facilities to recycle more efficiently. Looking to the future and creating facilities that break down biodegradable plastic also seems sensible.
Show less of commentJustine261
Community Member 5 years agoI try to shop in bulk (loose) as much as possible. E5 Bakehouse, Ginger Pig and Bulk Market (reopening soon) make this easier in East London. Luckily more of these kind of shops are opening. I buy seasonal vegetables loose rather than in...
Show full commentI try to shop in bulk (loose) as much as possible. E5 Bakehouse, Ginger Pig and Bulk Market (reopening soon) make this easier in East London. Luckily more of these kind of shops are opening. I buy seasonal vegetables loose rather than in pastic, using my own bags. I take my own boxes to buy cheese, meat and deli items. I take my own egg boxes to buy loose free range eggs. At home I compost myself using the bokashi system as Newham (where I live) does not have a food waste collection.
When I am out I take my own cutlery, straws and napkins if getting street food. I also take my own boxes sometimes if I expect to get something that won't work in a napkin.
I try to not shop in supermarkets but in locally owned shops to keep money in the local economy. My zero waste lifestyle hugely influences what I choose to purchase.
London could make it easier to make more environmental choices by; banning polysyrene packaging, installing water fountains at all of the transport stations, banning plastic cutlery, rolling out food composting to ALL commerical & residental properties, standarising the recycling so it is less confusing, insentivising reusable plastic cups in hospitality, tax incentives for small stores to install a "BeUnpackaged" bulk food system.
Show less of commentEnsom
Community Member 5 years agoThis was really interesting to read through Justine - thank you for sharing.
Can I just ask - what do you do with your bokashi "waste" once it is full?
Thanks for your help.
Matt
Justine261
Community Member 5 years agoMatt,
I make it into compost for the troughs on my balcony. The process I use for doing this can be found on my blog; http://www.littlegreenduckie.com/sustainability/composting-bokashi-part…
Any questions contact me via my...
Show full commentMatt,
I make it into compost for the troughs on my balcony. The process I use for doing this can be found on my blog; http://www.littlegreenduckie.com/sustainability/composting-bokashi-part…
Any questions contact me via my @LittleGreenDuckie Facebook page or on Twitter @LttlGreenDuckie
Regards
Justine
Show less of commentcardriver
Community Member 5 years agoAll food (especially take-away food) should have recyclable packaging and I do recycle everything I possibly can.
Perhaps shops should go back to using brown paper bags as we had in the past.
A Ure
Community Member 5 years agoYes, we recycle both food waste (easy) and packaging (less so). Our Council - Waltham Forest collects both organic and inorganic waste to recycle. With the latter - glass, cans, paper and especially plastics, things can get very confusing...
Show full commentYes, we recycle both food waste (easy) and packaging (less so). Our Council - Waltham Forest collects both organic and inorganic waste to recycle. With the latter - glass, cans, paper and especially plastics, things can get very confusing and opaque indeed. What types of plastics can and cannot be recycled of the plethora of types we now have? Does everyhing need to be washed of food contamination? Where does it all go? Not China?? How realistic is this for busy families? Most people in the UK are now well aware of our addiction and overuse of plastics and the damage they are causing thanks to Attenborough and others but we have few realistic alternatives. I've noticed paper boxes returning for some fruit and veg in the supermarket so am buying them but really would prefer far less or no packaging. Could London, as a progressive and world leading city, create the conditions for more sellers to use far less or no packaging? Morrisons Supermarket recent initatives look interesting..Also very interested in the brave entrepreneurs at Bulk Market foodstore. How could they be further encouraged London?
Show less of commentAnnetteR
Community Member 5 years agoI recycle food packaging and food waste. I would suggest that as far as possible people buy fruit and veg from markets, as I do in Lewisham. Plastic bags provided hold far more food than shop wrappings provide and can then be recycled. They...
Show full commentI recycle food packaging and food waste. I would suggest that as far as possible people buy fruit and veg from markets, as I do in Lewisham. Plastic bags provided hold far more food than shop wrappings provide and can then be recycled. They can also be re-used.
Show less of commentCOSMA
Community Member 5 years agoI had once known a country that had a system in which it would actually pay the home-owners for food and garden waste.
The local London Council's makes compost with all the public's food and garden waste which is then sold and purchased...
Show full commentI had once known a country that had a system in which it would actually pay the home-owners for food and garden waste.
The local London Council's makes compost with all the public's food and garden waste which is then sold and purchased by Allotment tenants.
We as a family care about the environment therefore we are mindful when it comes to recycling. Sensible food shopping means hardly any food waste unless it is something uneatable such as a banana skin or bones, (not that it matters as a variety of food waste is I suppose also essential for making good compost and fertilizers) my green recycle bin becomes full with garden waste, but I also save some to make home garden compost.
Plastic packaging actually become a major problem when people decide not to place it in the appropriate bin or just chose to use public areas to dispose their packaging after they have eaten and then just walk away without a care.
Open top public bins are also a problem particularly when these bins are completely overloading with rubbish, all it take is for the wind to blow the context all over the place and that is why many plastic packaging and also recyclable packaging find their way in rivers and all over London's green spaces, its a huge danger to our natural inhabitants and of course it makes an area look tatty, so to be fair the general public are not always the culprit but instead those out of date public bins, and who's fault is that?
I have to state that I, and many others on this site had previously asked for larger and more suitable public bins particularly given the growth in population and the amount of Take Away Food Shops on our high roads but nothing had been done about it to date, pity because it will really help the natural environment in London.
Therefore, London requires appropriate Public Bins and that is a job for the London Mayor together along with the London Local Council's, it will reflect a sense of care.
Show less of commentlise.soerensen
Community Member 5 years agoI am sure the supermarkets would make an effort if they were forced to, for example why does some bags of fruit come in non-recyclable packaging when others come in recyclable plastic packaging (and why can't they tell us on all the...
Show full commentI am sure the supermarkets would make an effort if they were forced to, for example why does some bags of fruit come in non-recyclable packaging when others come in recyclable plastic packaging (and why can't they tell us on all the packaging and not just some items, it's difficult to know if there is no recycling logo on the bag/box)? Surely legislation would help here. And I agree on other comments like encouraging food stuff that you can pick up in your own boxes and thereby avoid things like polystyrene. As we all live busy lives and get take aways much more often than in the past, restaurants should be required to review their packaging as much as the supermarkets. Unfortunately on the recycling front, our council still fails pretty badly when you live in a flat, no food recycling and no space in the recycling bins so most waste goes straight to landfill, I often go to the recycling centre myself to drop off things because it is painful to think about how our nature is getting destroyed by all our rubbish, in many cases because people are too lazy or uneducated to do something about it or to play their part and change the way they behave. Legislation (such as the carrier bag charge) would effectively change behaviour, and taxation on unsustainable material would make industries think more creatively to come up with new packaging solutions etc.
Show less of commentLee Gordon
Community Member 5 years agoI think we should all try to buy foods that are not all separately packaged, and try to cut out the unnecessary use of plastics supplied by retailers - especially the supermarkets - wherever possible.