What is West London Waste?
West London Waste is a single purpose local authority. We work in partnership with the west London councils in Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond. We are all working together to reduce the amount of rubbish thrown away and increase re-use and recycling. Essentially we arrange for the treatment and disposal of the waste that they collect.
What is the biggest environmental issue facing west London?
There are a lot of environmental issues that people feel strongly about. One of the most important is climate change. Landfilling of waste generates methane gas which does about 20 times more damage than the carbon dioxide from road vehicles. Many environmental problems are interrelated and a change in one area can have a positive impact on many others. For example, if you reduce waste, you will have a positive impact on climate change, the number of vehicles on the road, water usage and you could help make your streets cleaner and save yourself money. Of course we think waste is the biggest issue!
How much household waste goes to the landfill instead of recycling plants in west London? And how much does this cost the council as a result?
Many residents now use the recycling collection services provided by the boroughs. This means that about 40% of waste from households is already recycled. That’s more than any other sub region of London. The cost of throwing away as much as we do in West London is over £45million. Another 15% of the waste is converted into energy, but about 45% is still landfilled. We think that around half what is currently sent to landfill could either be reduced, re-used or recycling so there’s a lot of scope to save money on everyone’s Council Tax.
What initiatives does West London Waste promote?
We work on a number of projects. The ones we spend most time on are:
Love Food Hate Waste – Did you know that it’s people at home who create most of the food waste in the UK? We have lots of ideas to help families save up to £50 a month by eating lovely leftovers, being savvy with storage, knowing your dates and perfecting portions.
Swishing – Swapping clothes you no longer wear for something you will, we run swishing events where you can get a new wardrobe by using your clothes as currency.
Nappies – we encourage a discussion about the benefits and disadvantages of both washable and disposable nappies. Using washable nappies can save parents up to £500 a child and they can be used as often or little as you like.
What are your targets over the next year?
We’ve just agreed a new programme of work for the next 12 months. Over the next year we want to speak to over 5,000 people about Love Food Hate Waste. We want to get 1000 followers on twitter and we want to promote all the local furniture re-use charities to increase donations and sales by 10%.
What is the single most important thing households can do to improve the situation?
Use the recycling services provided by your council and be open to new ideas – most of us think we make the most of everything before it ends up in the bin but sometimes there are things you can do but you just don’t know it’s an option.
What are your top three tips to reduce waste and create a greener city?
1. Check out www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for lots of recipes and ideas
2. Re-use takeaway containers, ice cream tubs etc to store items including your leftovers and put your lunch in for work
3. Look for second-hand furniture before buying new – not only is it cheaper but you can have it straight away!
How can individuals get involved?
Everyone can do something. The quickest and easiest thing you can do is talk to your friends and family about the green things you do. If you’ve got a blog, a social media account or a website shout about what you do and pass on tips you find on our website or anywhere else on the internet.
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