Greenwich leads the way on waste disposal

Greenwich’s environmental credentials were given a boost this week with news that it is the best authority in the country for avoiding the disposal of waste in landfill sites.

The results show Greenwich among the leading boroughs in the country for contributing to national targets for reducing waste, recycling more and making less use of landfill.

In a Government table showing how councils are performing, Greenwich was confirmed as having disposed of just seven per cent of its Municipal Solid Waste in landfill sites - a full four per cent better than the second-placed councils, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool, both in the north east of England.

Key elements in Greenwich’s success include:
• the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Thamesmead, which was opened in 2004 and uses some of the most up-to-date technology to recycle mixed dry materials collected from households across the borough. Last year the MRF recycled around 17,000 tonnes of mixed dry materials – cardboard, glass, paper, plastic and cans picked up from Greenwich residents.
• the Reuse and Recycling Centre in Nathan Way, Plumstead, which was refurbished last year. As well as offering accessible facilities to recycle a wide range of products including textiles, waste oil, scrap metal, green waste, domestic appliances and car batteries, the centre also offers facilities for bulky items such as electrical goods and furniture to be reused.
• special pink containers introduced this summer at the 28 recycling banks across the borough which allow residents to dispose safely of small electrical goods. Already these have collected almost four-and-a-half tonnes of waste in just six months.
• adjacent to the pink bins are smaller blue bins for recycling household batteries. Since these were installed in June, almost a tonne of batteries have been safely recycled.

Cllr Rajwant Sidhu, Greenwich Council’s Cabinet member for Greener Greenwich, said: “The more we recycle, the more we reduce the impact on the environment that results from waste disposal. To be leading the country with only seven per cent of our waste going into holes in the ground is good news for the environment and is a credit to all those residents who cooperate so enthusiastically with our recycling services.

“The success of the pink electrical collection bins is also good news, as it will reduce still further the amount of waste that is dumped in landfill, as well as helping us to meet the European directives for the safe disposal of electrical waste.

“Above all, the feedback we’ve received from residents shows that they are pleased with the service.”

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