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lets talk rubbish manifesto headlineCandidates standing for election to seven north London councils next month have been signing up to a manifesto published by a community group concerned about poor recycling and reuse rates across the area.

The Let's Talk Rubbish/North London Zero Waste campaign is particularly concerned about the quantity of waste which is burnt and the project to build a new incinerator in Edmonton, due to be in operation for up to 50 years and whose very existence will act as a disincentive to local authorities to increase their reuse and recycling efforts.

Incineration not only means that potentially reusable materials and products are being destroyed, but is a major source of the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change and thus threatening to make large portions of the Earth uninhabitable in the not so distant future.

A survey designed to discover what north London residents think about waste collection and recycling policy and practice in their boroughs has been running since early March and has been answered so far by more than a thousand people. The results have informed the manifesto that the group have developed in the run-up to the council elections.

Candidates are asked to sign up to four commitments:

  • a recycling commitment
  • a reuse commitment
  • a waste prevention commitment
  • a community commitment.

For each of these the group has developed a number of imaginative and ambitious proposed actions to help attain the relevant goals.

To help voters choose between candidates, Let's Talk Rubbish will be publishing a list of candidates who have signed up to the commitments and the list will be updated as more would-be councillors respond.

Four commitments to rapidly increase recycling and reuse

1. Recycling commitment

To adopt the London Environment Strategy target of 65% recycling of household, commercial and industrial wastes by 2030 as the borough’s minimum target for 2030.

2. Reuse commitment

To commit to re-using 5% of all items brought to reuse and recycling centres, or other collection points, by 2030, in collaboration with the North London Waste Authority.

Suggested actions

To develop a council policy and accompanying action plan to ensure all residents, including those living in flats and above shops, have access to:

  • Food waste collection services by 2025 at the latest, as required under the environment act section 45A.
  • Sufficient bin/collection capacity for dry recycling collection services with a weekly collection frequency as required under the environment act section 45A.
  • Sufficient textile and clothing collection and donation points, by providing at least one collection or donation point per 3000 residents by 2024.
  • To evaluate the business case for processing food waste and other collected organics in an anaerobic digestion facility for bio-gas and fertiliser production.

Suggested actions

To develop a council policy and accompanying action plan to ensure all residents have easy options to donate their bulky wastes and miscellaneous household items, and improve the possibilities for reusing these items. This can include:

  • Setup a network of mini-collection centres across the local authority for bulky wastes and miscellaneous household items.
  • Build or enhance the network of reuse charities & businesses that can select & collect items given by the public at reuse and recycling centres or other collection points, for refurbishment, upcycling and resales.
  • Invest in a local ultraclean mattress machine line for north London together with FRC Group to provide as good as new mattresses for council housing services.
  • Evaluate the potential for on the spot testing and repair of electronic and electrical equipment at reuse and recycling centres, based on the fixing factories pilot by the West London Waste Authority, Restart project, Possible, and Ready tech go

3. Waste prevention commitment

To commit to sharply reduce waste by reducing single use and disposable items and food waste by developing and implementing a plan and campaign for this in collaboration with the North London Waste Authority.

4. Community commitment

To commit to delivering these efforts together with a borough community forum that brings new ideas that are considered, offering collaboration with the other six boroughs in north London.

Suggested actions

To develop a council policy and accompanying action plan around efforts reaching out to both residents and businesses to empower them to shift to reuse items and reduce unrecyclable items. This can include:

  • Expand the number of businesses in north London participating in the low plastic zone programme to generate more low plastic zones.
  • Work with food & drink businesses to shift to 100% recyclable items and start offering reusable cups and takeaway box offerings from service providers like Reuser and PIZZycle.
  • Develop and implement a food waste action programme with online and in person efforts, where residents can learn about and actively commit and try actions to reduce food waste, and be paired with people within their community.

Suggested actions

To setup a council-wide area forum composed of local residents, councillors, senior representatives from the council, representatives from the North London waste Authority, and other key local organisations, to bring in key ideas and debate key topics on composting, recycling and reuse. The structure can include:

  • Presentations with new ideas from local residents and other key local organisations.
  • Presentations from council senior representatives presenting what the key challenges are and covering assessments of new ideas
  • Discussions on key challenges and how to solve them.
  • Proposals for collaboration with the community on reaching out to residents.

For a list of candidates who have signed up to the manifesto (coming soon), more information about the Let's Talk Rubbish campaign and how you can get involved, visit www.letstalkrubbish.london.

 

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PGC Webmaster posted a reply
21 Apr 2022 00:37
For more about the Let's Talk Rubbish/North London Zero Waste campaign, read this article on the Enfield Dispatch website:

We must do more to boost recycling

The waste and recycling survey is still on:



To respond, visit www.letstalkrubbish.london/ .

See this article for a reminder of what it's all about.
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