london waste
The key to resolving the waste crisis is to separate waste at source. Once organic waste, paper, metals etc are separated they can be easily recycled.
The UK as a whole recycles just 8% of its waste, putting it at the bottom of the European recycling league. The seven London boroughs that feed waste into the Edmonton incinerator in North London recycle just over 1% of their waste. By contrast the city of Edmonton in Canada recycles over 50% of its waste and has a target of over 70%.
In the short term, the Government must lead a drive to re-use and recycle waste, by;
- creating financial incentives to re-use packaging and products
- investing in a recycling infrastructure
- encouraging the use of recycled materials in products
- phasing out materials which cannot be safely recycled or composted, such as PVC plastic
Examples of successful recycling show that jobs and revenue are created for the local economy. It is predicted that around 50,000 UK jobs could be created through the intensive re-use and recycling of resources.
Ultimately, we must eliminate the production of waste and products that cannot be re-used or safely recycled, by redesigning products and production processes. This challenge is also an opportunity for UK businesses to make savings through waste minimisation and be at the forefront of innovative product design.
