Recycle, Islington!

By Abigail Opiah and Wendy Abiri

World Recycling Week

New ways of recycling your rubbish are helping Islington locals to get on top of the problem. The borough has come up with some initiatives in a bid to increase levels of recycling, reducing and re-using.

It’s to mark World Recycling Week  from 19th to 24th April – an initiative which was kicked off by an H&M event at its Oxford Street Flagship store.

The North London Waste Authority, which is an organisation that helps boroughs reach their target level and  reducing waste, has set a target of a 50% recycling rate by 2020. Islington borough is currently at 32%. The NLWA also want a reduction of 35% of waste in by 2020.

Islington council has also set out guidelines for residents who don’t know what items can and can not be recycled.

The borough recently had two finalists as part of the Award of Excellence in terms of recycling.

 

Jenny Law, 46, Kool food and wine shop assistant on Holloway Road, said: “We recycle the cardboard boxes and give the food we do not sell to charity. If we could recycle the packaging, we would.”

Even though the recycling chart suggests that the borough of Islington is doing well in terms of recycling, this only measures household recycling initiatives.

Two out of 20 shops along Holloway Road, when asked how they recycle as a corporation (including the Post Office) said that they do not recycle, nor do they have any type of recycling scheme or programme put in place.

The council has also come up with ways on how to promote recycling food waste, providing food waste recycling collection services to most houses, also communal bins for locals to drop off their items, which makes it easier for everyone to get involved.
Jean Lambert, 65, a member of the Green Party in the UK and a Member of the European Parliament for the London Region, said on her website: “As a member of the European Parliament I have the opportunity to compare and contrast the UK’s recycling performance with that of other countries – and it’s not at all impressive.  Recycling rates in the UK are around 18% whereas countries like the Netherlands achieve around 64%.  We can’t let resources go to waste.”

 

5 Things you can recycle

 

1. Paper
2. Cardboard.
3. Plastic Bags
4. Food and Drink Cans
5. Milk bottles

 

5 Things you can’t recycle

1. Liquid Waste.
2. Foil Package.
3. CD Cases.
4. Bio-degradable and degradable bags.
5. Tupperware containers.

Local Recycling Centres

Islington Household Reuse and Recycling Centre

40 Hornsey St

Islington

N7 8HU

Phone : 020 7527 2000

Open Hours : 8AM – 8PM

 

Regis Road Recycling Centre

Regis Rd, Kentish Town,

London

NW5 3EW

Phone:020 7974 7133