More Merton Home Will Be Recycling

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Food waste scheme to be expanded

The food waste collection service in Merton is to be expanded to more than 12,650 flats as part of a £3.7 million capital-wide package.

The London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) has provided sufficient funding to expand the food waste recycling service, supplying food waste recycling bins, food waste caddies and liners to residents.

The funding is being awarded to 18 boroughs including Merton, Hounslow, Richmond, Wandsworth and Ealing, and will cover 294,000 flats in total.

It will include new food waste recycling facilities, underground recycling storage systems and a recycling incentive scheme - which rewards residents with points which can be exchanged for eco goods or community projects. These initiatives should result in 32,000 tonnes of waste being recycled in London instead of dumped in landfill, over the course of four years.

Flats and multi-occupancy buildings account for around 50 per cent of all housing in London but recycling collected from these properties is currently standing at around 10 per cent, significantly lower than houses.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said: "I know the good people of London's suburbs are keen to be green and to recycle whatever they can. I'm also aware that it is not always easy to do that and in my ongoing determination to make life easier and to raise the standard of living of all Londoners, I'm delighted we can now provide these innovative solutions."

Councillor Henry Nelless (left), Conservative environment spokesman on Merton Council, said: "The rolling out of food waste recycling to more Merton residents, thanks to the support of Boris Johnson, is excellent news. The service has proved really popular where it is already operating and has resulted in cleaner streets and less landfill since the scheme was first introduced by the last Conservative administration." 

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March 10, 2011