'On the go' recycling - the case for Mayoral actions

Our report calls on the Mayor to tackle the mountain of waste produced by people while out and about in the capital. London has the lowest recycling rates in the UK and every week produces enough lunchtime waste to fill Trafalgar Square. Despite this, there is a distinct lack of special “on the go” recycling bins and poor provision of facilities for mixed plastic recycling in London.

The report says London needs its own special recycling facility like those that exist elsewhere in the UK and Europe. It calls on the Mayor and the London Waste and Recycling Board to ensure London manages its own waste and does not rely on exporting it, either overseas or to other parts of the UK, or dumping it in landfill.

The Committee highlights a number of ways for increasing recycling:

• The Mayor should direct a London-wide ‘on the go’ waste management scheme, making it easier and more convenient to recycle.
• He should work with private sector companies to increase the number of ‘on the go’ recycling zones throughout the UK.
• There should be enough bins in public areas, and consistent signage and symbols for ‘on the go’ recycling bins.
• Recycling provision on the transport network must be extended to include plastics.

Mayoral response

This work contributed to the drafting of the Mayor's Municipal Waste Management Strategy. Page 66 of the draft Strategy recognises the importance of this issue and the Mayor subsequently made a number of proposals to create the infrastructure to support on-the-go recycling

The Mayor's draft Municipal Waste Management Strategy