A second round of consultation is taking place across seven boroughs ahead of North London Waste Authority’s new joint strategy being adopted next year

North London residents are being invited to comment on a draft strategy which aims to slash waste and move towards “a more circular economy”.

The new North London Waste Authority (NLWA) joint strategy will guide waste services across seven boroughs from 2025 to 2040 and has been developed in conjunction with Enfield, Haringey, Barnet, Waltham Forest, Camden, Islington and Hackney councils.

The existing NLWA joint strategy was published in 2004 and is now out of date.

Across twelve weeks of engagement in summer 2023, more than 2,000 residents took part in a survey and told NLWA that reducing carbon emissions and making environmentally-friendly choices were most important to them. They also highlighted that councils and NLWA should provide accessible and easy-to-use recycling services.

A second consultation asking for responses to the draft strategy is taking place between now and Thursday, 23rd January. Consultation feedback will be collated and used to help inform the final strategy which will be put forward for approval later in 2025.

NLWA has been criticised in recent years for its low recycling rates, with only 30.7% of household waste being sent for recycling across the seven boroughs, compared to the England average of 43.4%. The government’s recycling target is 50%.

While NLWA is investing in a range of new recycling facilities at Edmonton Eco Park, the construction of a larger incinerator that will burn North London’s general waste for decades to come has also drawn widespread opposition and protests.

NLWA says its draft strategy has a “strong emphasis on waste reduction” with major demands being made of the government including banning unnecessary single-use plastics and ensuring producers take full responsibility for the items they produce.

Chair Clyde Loakes said: “The seven north London boroughs and North London Waste Authority provide some of the most extensive recycling services in the country and have invested in waste reduction activities for over a decade. Our joint waste strategy builds on this foundation, setting priorities that have maximum impact and marking the pathway to a circular economy.

“Key aims of our strategy include recycling more where there is no option to prevent or reuse waste. This means investigating new infrastructure and technology, or adding new reuse and recycling schemes where possible, as we have done with mattresses, DIY waste, hard plastics and expanded polystyrene.

“We will set ambitious targets like sending zero waste to landfill, ensuring all our recycling is processed in the UK, halving the amount of avoidable food in residual waste and reusing twice as much of the materials taken to our reuse and recycling centres.

“In addition to our ongoing commitment to promotion of waste prevention, we plan to do more to influence government policy. Too much of our waste is still preventable and it is clear that only system-wide change will reduce waste at source and drive the nation towards a more circular economy.

“As local authorities, we have little control over the quantity and composition of waste, yet we have a duty to prepare for uncertainties and dispose of the materials presented to us. Following rigorous analysis and resident engagement, the joint waste strategy sets out to meet this challenge.

“It’s all too easy for waste to be ‘out of sight, out of mind’, but the carbon emissions embedded in our rubbish represent a grave problem that urgently needs addressing if we are to meet net zero targets and protect this planet for future generations.”

Residents can learn more about the draft North London Joint Waste Strategy and complete a short consultation survey online:
Visit northlondonwaste.commonplace.is

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