New Report: 'On the Go' Recycling – London Shamed

The London Assembly's environment committee has recently published a report which indicates that recycling rates in London are among the lowest in the UK and calls on the Mayor to tackle the mountain of waste produced by people while out and about in the capital.

Every week London 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; and recycling provision on the transport network must be extended to include plastics.