Southwark rolls out recycling scheme to 35,000 homes

Residents can dispose of everything from paper, cardboard and glass bottles to food tins, aerosols, drink cans and food cartons - all in one container.

The bins replace the previous system which saw people having to sort their waste into a separate bag and box.

Southwark Council is also expanding its food waste programme, where residents can separate their food waste which then gets collected every week.

The council, with recycling and waste partners Veolia Environmental Services, expect to collect 5,000 tonnes of food waste from street-based properties over the next 12 months - enough to fill almost six Olympic sized swimming pools.

The changes are part of a raft of improvements to the recycling service this autumn. These include:

• Inclusion of drink cartons such as Tetra Pak in all household collections for the first time.
• Food and garden waste collections expanded to serve some 45,000 properties in total.
• Easier to use mixed recycling collections for all street based properties currently using a blue box.
• Changes to collection timetables for street based properties to provide collections of refuse and recyclables once every other week on alternating weeks.

At present Southwark recycles over 25% of its waste but is aiming to increase this to over 40%.

Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling at Southwark Council, said: "I'm so pleased to have seen the food waste programme taken up with such enthusiasm, and with such encouraging results.

"Expanding it to a further 35,000 properties is just one of the changes that Southwark residents will see this autumn, and I hope they find their new look recycling service easier and more effective."

Simon Bussell, managing director for Veolia Environmental Services in Southwark, added: "We have worked closely with Southwark Council to develop a new package of services for our customers living in street based properties.

"We have taken on board feedback from the pilot area and we believe that the new service package will bring great benefits to the way that waste is handled in the borough.

"We are also working hard to communicate with residents and ensure that the transition to the new services goes smoothly."

Residents in Southwark have welcomed the new food waste scheme.
John Gorsuch, lives in Nunhead and will receive a food waste collection for the first time in October, he said: "I've been quite envious of friends who got food waste collections last year and have been able to massively reduce the amount of rubbish going into their bin. I think it's great that food waste collection are continuing and expanding."

Mario Comendas, is a Peckham resident and is currently on the mixed clear bag service. He had this advice for residents using a blue box and bag who will be moving to a mixed service in October: "I have been able to mix my recycling in the same container for some time. I think people changing to a mixed collection will find it much easier and a lot less hassle than sorting everything out every week."

Sharon Ellis, both a Dulwich resident and Veolia employee is also looking forward to recycling more of her waste: "As a Southwark resident and a Veolia employee, I've seen first hand how successful food waste collections have been. I'll be getting them at my house in October and I'm really looking forward to being able to recycle so much more of my waste."

The changes come after a successful pilot programme launched last year which saw food waste collections, and similar recycling improvements, introduced to 10,000 properties.

A survey of all homes on the pilot found that 96% said that food waste recycling was a 'good idea' and that 84% rated the new services as 'much better' or 'better.'