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Week ending July 19, 2008

Westminster City Council - 2000 TREES SAVED BY NEWSPAPER RECYCLING AGREEMENT IN FIRST SIX MONTHS - July 18, 2008
from Sheyi Martins/Westminster City Council

More than 100 tonnes of paper has been saved from landfill – the equivalent to almost 2,000 trees – in the first six months of a unique recycling agreement between London’s free newspaper publishers.

Brokered by Westminster City Council, the ground-breaking deal between Associated Newspapers and NI Free Newspapers Ltd, which publishes thelondonpaper, sees the otherwise-rivals working together to pay for the installation and emptying of 70 recycling bins to deal with waste from London’s free newspapers.

The council is in on-going talks with Associated Newspapers, which publishes the London Lite and Metro, to boost recycling rates even further.

The bins, which were installed in four key areas across the West End in January, have collected a whopping 120 tonnes of paper so far, which would otherwise have gone to landfill. This would save the equivalent of 1,920 trees which is double the number in London’s prestigious Royal Park St James’s.

This is in addition to the 465 tonnes collected in Westminster’s own 153 on-street recycling bins during the same time period.

Cllr Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “This unique agreement is making a tangible difference to the cleanliness of the streets of Westminster and the environment at large.

“However, we are not complacent and we realise there is still a lot of work we can do to improve recycling rates. We are still in positive talks with Associated Newspapers and hope we can boost our recycling rates even further.”

Keeping its streets clean and boosting recycling is a key priority for Westminster council and this agreement, which is the first of its kind in the country, is one of several innovative initiatives underway.

In Soho, Westminster’s street sweepers are sifting and segregating rubbish as they pick it up off the streets in a trial scheme to recycle more waste.

Initial results show the sweepers are collecting 1.2 tonnes of recyclable materials each week, which would otherwise be burned or go to land fill. Just half a tonne of plastic bottles is enough to make 16,000 umbrellas, 1,300 fleece jackets or 33 picnic tables.

Notes to editors:
Westminster has a recycling rate of 22.7 per cent despite the challenges posed by a million visitors a day and the fact more than 90 per cent of residents live in flats.

As part of the voluntary regime each newspaper group's own distributors are responsible for maintaining a litter free work station during their hours of operation with: The agreement officialy launched on 18th January 2008.
* NI Free Newspapers Ltd responsible for the servicing of newspaper recycling bins, and associated litter-picking, in the Oxford Circus and Charing Cross Station areas.
* Associated Newspapers responsible for the servicing of newspaper recycling bins, and associated litter-picking, in the Leicester Square and Victoria Station areas.
* In their zones of operation each newspaper group brands the bins, and displays a telephone answering service and an email address for any comments by members of the public.
* The free newspaper recycling bins are LINPAC Twin Bins, which have a 170 litre capacity and combine two newspaper slots on each bin.

* Westminster City Council has carried out periodic studies of street litter across Westminster since the introduction of the free evening newspapers. The highest concentration of newspapers in the street waste stream is found across the West End where newspaper waste accounts for 24 per cent of street waste.

Local authorities have the power under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to restrict the distribution of free literature in areas where they pollute the environment.

Westminster City Council's Go Green agenda comprises a raft of initiatives to help tackle global warming and establish its reputation as an environmental champion.

Recycling initiatives have included the introduction of 12 new refuse chutes encouraging residents in high rise flats to recycle their rubbish and the introduction of a recycling service for Tetra Pak cartons.

Other initiatives include conserving 'green' spaces and wildlife, cutting water consumption by half in its parks, and expanding the use of solar powered parking meters.

The council also plans to reduce its carbon footprint and cut its own carbon emissions by 1,300 tonnes a year.