Sustainable waste management in London – the Greater London Authority’s proposed Environment Strategy
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, published a draft of the London Environment Strategy for consultation on August 11th. This strategy reiterates that change will have to be made ensuring that London remains a liveable city to live and work in. The strategy is divided into 6 different areas that combine every aspect of London’s environment.
- Air quality
- Green infrastructure
- Climate change mitigation and energy
- Sustainable Waste Management
- Adapting to climate change
- Ambient noise
The document contains 20 pages on the proposed sustainable waste management plan in London. We are going to provide you with a summary of the waste strategy, along with how we can provide eco-friendly waste services that support this approach.
Recycling and food waste standards
The main aim is to “make London a zero waste city”. How does the Greater London Authority plan to do this?
- By 2020 there will be minimum recycling and food waste standards for London’s waste authorities to meet.
- By 2026 no biodegradable waste (including food waste) will be sent to landfill.
- By 2030 65% of London’s municipal waste will be recycled.
To achieve the above targets, London will have to completely transform how the capital manages its waste and ensure no waste is sent to landfill. At Westminster City Council Commercial Waste Services, we are already one step ahead. No waste collected by our service is sent to landfill and we provide sustainable closed loop recycling services wherever possible. When recycling is not an option, we transform this waste into energy that is used to power London homes and business.
Pollution and waste management
Pollution and waste management go hand in hand when looking at rubbish and recycling collections in the capital. With so many different competing waste operators collecting waste in London, there is more traffic on the roads causing congestion than ever before This results in poor air quality, partially due to some collectors using older vehicle fleets that emit more pollutants. Again, we are ahead, with a much newer fleet of collection vehicles at Westminster City Council than many other operators’ fleets, which means lower emissions. Already 10% of Westminster City Council’s fleet is electric and the first hydrogen dual fuelled truck will be on the capital’s streets shortly. Westminster City Council supports and adheres to existing European, national and regional policies and strategies on managing waste sustainably.
Waste reduction for businesses
As well as using sustainable waste management options, such as source segregated recycling, there will always be general waste, that can’t be recycled generated in businesses. It is vital that businesses do everything they can to reduce waste in the first place. If you don’t know where to start with reducing waste, we have a range of guides that will provide you with tips for reducing waste in your business. View the guides.
Have your say
The Mayor and the Greater London Authority are open to suggestions, comments and improvements for the new strategy. They are encouraging people and businesses to respond to it. You can do so by using the button below.
What can your business do to help London manage its rubbish in a non-damaging way?
The proposed strategy states that “The Mayor is required under the GLA Act to produce a municipal waste management strategy. However, the Mayor and GLA are not a waste authority and it is ultimately the waste collection and disposal authorities, businesses and the commercial waste industry that will implement the waste policies in this strategy in collaboration with the Mayor.”
So, let us collaborate with you and the Greater London Authority to provide London with a better future. Get in touch with us using one of the buttons below.
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