Recycling and Sustainability: Delivering a Greener Future

Our community is committed to a resilient recycling and sustainability plan that balances practical waste management with ambitious environmental targets. This page outlines our recycling percentage goal, how local transfer stations support the system, partnerships with charities and social enterprises, and the rollout of low-carbon vans that reduce emissions across collection routes. Our approach to sustainability emphasizes reuse, repair and resource efficiency across every borough and neighbourhood.

Recycling percentage target and timeline

We have set a clear municipal recycling percentage target: to achieve a 70% recycling and composting rate by 2030, with an interim milestone of 60% by 2026. This recycling percentage target reflects the combined results of kerbside collections, bring banks and household recycling centres. To meet this, the borough-level recycling programme will focus on improving capture rates for food waste, textiles and glass, while reducing residual waste through targeted interventions and behaviour change campaigns.

Across different neighbourhoods we support a mix of collection models: kerbside sort, dual-stream and fully co-mingled systems depending on local infrastructure and resident preference. Typical recycling activity includes separate glass and paper banks in town centres, weekly food caddy collections in densely populated wards, and seasonal garden waste rounds. These variations ensure the recycling initiatives reflect local needs while contributing to the overall recycling percentage target.

Local transfer stations and material handling

Local transfer stations are the backbone of efficient waste logistics. Facilities such as Northside Transfer Station, Riverside Transfer Facility and Eastborough Consolidation Hub receive, sort and consolidate materials for onward processing. By minimising haul distances and maximising load consolidation, transfer stations reduce vehicle miles and emissions, supporting our wider sustainability objectives. These transfer points also host bulking operations for segregated streams like glass, paper, food organics and bulky textiles.

Partnering with charities for reuse and redistribution

We actively collaborate with charities, repair cafes and social enterprises to extend product lifecycles. Donation routes divert reusable furniture, working electronics and textiles away from disposal and into community-led reuse networks. Partnerships focus on: repair, refurbishment, resale and skills training, creating local jobs while lowering material demand.

Examples of charity and community collaborations include pop-up reuse bazaars at transfer stations, mattress and small appliance refurbishment programmes, and coordinated textile collection campaigns that feed local social enterprises. These initiatives form a practical bridge between waste collection and circular economy activity, boosting the proportion of material returned to productive use rather than landfilled or incinerated.

Low-carbon vans and fleet transformation

The transition to a low-carbon fleet is essential to a truly sustainable recycling service. We are deploying electric and low-emission hybrid vans for kerbside rounds and transfer station shuttles, replacing older diesel vehicles. The low-carbon vans are complemented by route optimisation software and scheduled consolidation to reduce empty running and improve fuel efficiency. Together, these measures cut greenhouse gas emissions while preserving high-frequency collection services.

Beyond electrification, we are investing in depot charging infrastructure and driver training focused on eco-driving. These investments lower operational costs over time and help integrate the fleet into local renewable energy schemes. Our sustainability strategy also evaluates alternative fuels for heavier vehicles and advocates for regional investment in low-emission freight corridors.

How residents and businesses can support the recycling programme

Success depends on consistent participation across all sectors. Simple actions such as rinsing containers, using food waste caddies, separating textiles and avoiding contamination of dry recycling streams make a disproportionate impact on overall recovery rates. We encourage residents to use designated bring banks for glass and paper, drop off bulky items for reuse collection, and support local charity shops and repair events.

Our borough-based approach recognises that different communities require tailored solutions. In denser urban wards, we emphasise communal recycling points and increased food waste capture, while suburban and peri-urban areas benefit from scheduled bulky collection and garden waste services. Recycling policy at the local level complements regional targets, and the combined efforts contribute to the municipal recycling percentage target.

We monitor performance through transparent metrics that track tonnes recycled, contamination rates and vehicle emissions. Continuous improvement cycles allow us to adjust the recycling programme where necessary, pilot new service models (such as split-food and wet-dry systems) and scale effective reuse partnerships. A practical list of ongoing activities includes:

• Expanding kerbside food waste collections to additional neighbourhoods;
• Scaling up textile and electronics take-back schemes with charity partners;
• Continuing fleet electrification with more low-carbon vans and charging bays;
• Enhancing outreach on correct sorting to reduce contamination.

Ultimately, our combined strategy — from transfer station efficiency to charity-led reuse and a low-emission collection fleet — is designed to embed sustainable recycling across the boroughs. With clear targets, community-focused services and strong partnerships, we are steering towards a circular future where materials are kept in use, emissions are reduced and neighbourhoods benefit from cleaner streets and stronger local economies.