London Waste and Recycling Board meets for the first time

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, began his role of chair of the London Waste and Recycling Board at its inaugural meeting in City Hall, marking a new dawn for waste management in the capital. The eight-member board was set up to bring together the mayor, the boroughs and others involved in managing the capital’s waste, with the key aims of boosting London’s recycling rates and reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfill.

At the meeting, the Board agreed to fund a twelve-month Recycle for London campaign. The campaign encourages Londoners to recycle more and provides the information to make it easier for them to do so, building awareness and promoting behavioral change.

In his opening address, Johnson outlined how he envisages the board as a key opportunity to work with London’s borough councils and said that he was confident that a “crack team” had been assembled to tackle the pressing issue of how the capital’s waste is managed and disposed of.

Johnson reiterated how he wants London’s recycling rates, both in the business and domestic sector, to increase dramatically and that, with the board members and the commitment of £1.5m for the Recycle for London campaign, he will set out proposals to make recycling in the capital easier and more convenient.

Commenting on the meeting, Johnson said, “I have consistently said that boosting the capital’s recycling rate and sending less waste to landfill is a top priority for my administration and today’s meeting was evidence of that commitment. The meeting marked a new direction in the manner in which City Hall addresses and approaches this complex environmental challenge and, unlike the previous administration, it was mutually encouraging to sit down and discuss this serious issue with London Councils.”