WASTE & RECYCLING
TRANSFORMING
LONDON’S
ATTITUDE
TO WASTE
As one of the central agencies dealing with ‘the business
of recycling’ in London, Daniel Silverstone, Chief
Executive of London Remade, is well placed to debate the
changing face of waste in the capital
O
ur awareness of climate over 60 per cent being exported to the or even meals on wheels.
change is ever Home Counties and beyond. Environmentally responsible purchasing
increasing but the role The capital recycles just over 20 per is about using our purchasing power to
of waste management cent yes the Mayor has set a challenge for promote productive use of resources and
in reducing our London to deal with 85 per cent of its own materials. It also creates markets for the
environmental impact waste by 2020. materials we recycle, creating real economic
isn’t always so clear for businesses. Our Alongside innovation in waste value from waste. It involves integrating
actions at home and in the office have an management technology, such as turning environmental considerations into all stages
impact on the amount and type of waste non-recyclable waste into renewable energy, of the purchasing process: from avoiding
sent to, or diverted from, landfill. attitudes need to change if we are to have unnecessary purchases and identifying
When considering waste management any chance of meeting this tough target. greener products to the specifications you
we need to look beyond whether we recycle Progress is being made and focus is use for contracts and whole life costing.
or not. Whilst recycling reduces the amount beginning to shift: the government is Introducing green procurement to your
of waste sent to landfill, there are other reviewing its waste strategy with an workplace by choosing products that are
considerations. Is there local infrastructure emphasis on resource management iinstead made or operate in a way that:
to process the materials we send for of waste to landfill. • uses fewer natural resources
recycling? Are there local markets for the • contains fewer hazardous or toxic
materials we recycle? Can we reduce the CREATING LOCAL MARKETS materials
amount of waste we produce in the first Making informed choices about the • has a long life span
instance? products we buy can make a real difference • consumes less energy or water in
London has a population of over 7 to the levels of waste we produce. The production or use
million people producing almost 18 million combined purchasing power of UK • can be reused or recycled on
tonnes of waste a year. This figure is businesses and the public sector has huge disposal
forecast to rise to 24 million tonnes by potential to tackle waste positively and • generates less waste, for example,
2020. reduce carbon emissions: from buying an is made from recycled materials,
London has historically relied on cheap office computer to major public sector uses less packaging or can be
landfill for the disposal of its waste, with contracts for highway services, construction recycled by the supplier
RUBBISH – NEW CO-OPERATIVE CENTRE TELLS CHILDREN
School children can now find out what happens to the
rubbish they throw away at a unique green education centre.
W
aste Works, as the education from local schools and businesses for designed to
centre is called, is based at the recycling. include work on
Co-operative’s in-house office Each year up to 12,000 children aged materials studied
waste-recycling centre in Manchester - the 7-11 from local schools and community in science,
largest of its kind in the UK. There the Co- groups are expected to visit Waste Works, geography as
operative recycles paper collected from its which will be managed by environmental well as
head office complex which is then charity Waste Watch on behalf of the Co- citizenship and
converted into toilet and kitchen tissue operative. design and
sold in its stores. Visits to Waste Works will cover technology.
The co-operative recycling centre also National Curriculum subjects for Key The Centre is
collects cardboard, tin cans, plastic cups Stage 2 pupils in a cross-curricular way handling 5,000
and other waste from head office, and with the recycling education programme tonnes of office
18|
SUSTAINABLE FM | OCTOBER 2007
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