Londoners lead the way on improved recycling: 62% recycle more than a year ago

23 September 2019

• New data shows 62% of London households are recycling more items, and more often, than they were a year ago
• Nearly a third of those surveyed cite environmental concerns as the main reason for recycling more
• This Recycle Week (23 – 29 September), London Recycles calls on all Londoners to recycle more and take action to protect our environment

London Recycles is calling on all Londoners to take action this Recycle Week and help protect our environment. New data released by WRAP shows 62% of Londoners now recycle more than they did a year ago – but we could all still be doing more.

Nearly a third of Londoners surveyed cite environmental concerns – including increased awareness of climate change – as the main reason for increasing the amount they recycle.

To harness the groundswell of support for climate action – highlighted by the thousands of people who took part in Friday’s climate strike – London Recycles is reminding everyone of the impact that recycling can have: for example, recycling one bleach bottle saves enough energy to power a streetlight for 6.5 hours.

While WRAP’S research showed an increase in recycling, it also revealed that London households sometimes incorrectly put items like nappies, toys and toothpaste tubes in the recycling bin.

To help Londoners recycle more effectively, London Recycles has provided the following tips in partnership with Recycle Now for this year’s Recycle Week:

1. If it’s plastic and bottle shaped, recycle it – just empty the bottle, crush it and replace any lids before recycling, and remember to recycle bleach and detergent bottles
2. Give it a quick rinse – for pots, tubs and trays, give them a quick rinse before recycling – remember to remove the plastic film
3. Recycle from the bathroom – toothpaste boxes, toilet roll tubes, aerosols, shower gel, soap, shampoo and conditioner bottles can all be recycled, just take the pump dispenser off liquid soap bottles first
4. One bin is rubbish – it sounds obvious, but if you get a separate recycling bin (or bag, or box – whatever works for you), just for your recycling, this will make your recycling much easier and tidier
5. If you’re not sure, check – to find out more about recycling in your area, enter your postcode here: https://londonrecycles.co.uk/local-recycling

Ali Moore, Campaign Manager at London Recycles, said:

With more and more Londoners wanting to take positive action to help the environment, one simple but significant step we can all take is to make sure we get our recycling right. We’re encouraging everyone in the capital to take action and recycle more this Recycle Week. Recycling really matters. Recycling an item rather than throwing it in the rubbish bin means that it will be dealt with in the most environmentally friendly way, keeping materials in use. If each of us re-used or recycled just one more thing each day, it would make a huge difference.

From eye-catching stunts to targeted local activity, Recycle Week will see activities take place across the capital, including:

• The London Eye will be lit up in green on the evening of Wednesday 25th
• Clean graffiti will be sprayed in the area around Liverpool Street and Shoreditch as an eco-friendly way to spread the urgency of recycling
• In Hackney, a litter pick event on 29 September – organised by Plastic Free Hackney – will see volunteer litter pickers collecting waste and recycling whatever they can
• In Greenwich, council recycling teams will collect single use bottles and offer reusable water bottles in return

–ENDS-

For more information:
Contact Alice Jaffe (alice@forster.co.uk) or Phoebe Calcutt (phoebe@forster.co.uk) on 0207 403 22330

About the data
Data showing 62% of London households are now recycling more than a year ago is sourced from WRAP’s Recycling Tracker 2019, based on 976 London adults (aged 18+) surveyed

About London Recycles

• London Recycles is the consumer campaign which delivers both London-wide communications and borough support to help Londoners recycle more, no matter where they are in the capital.
• The campaign is supported by the Mayor of London and underpins the capital’s push towards 65% recycling by 2030. Visit the website at: https://londonrecycles.co.uk/

About Recycle Week

• Recycle Week is the UK’s annual event to build awareness of and encourage increased participation in recycling behaviour. It is organised by WRAP under the Recycle Now brand
• To find out more, visit: http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/recycle-week-2019
• Find out more on social using #RecycleWeek and #InOurOwnHands