Recycling and Sustainability
Our recycling and sustainability approach is designed to keep useful materials in circulation, reduce landfill use, and support a cleaner local environment. We aim for a 75% recycling percentage target across suitable waste streams, with continuous improvement built into every collection and sorting process. This means prioritising separation, recovery, and responsible reprocessing wherever possible, while still handling residual waste in the most efficient way. By focusing on practical sustainable waste management, we can make a measurable difference for households, businesses, and shared community spaces.
A key part of our recycling strategy is working with local transfer stations, where mixed loads can be checked, sorted, and directed to the right recovery route. These sites help bridge the gap between collection and final processing, making it easier to identify reusable materials and keep contamination low. In areas with borough-based waste systems, this is especially important because different boroughs may approach waste separation in slightly different ways. Some places place extra emphasis on food waste segregation, while others rely heavily on dry mixed recycling streams, so careful handling at transfer points helps align materials with the right downstream facilities.
We also support a broad range of recycling activities that reflect the needs of local communities. Cardboard, metals, paper, plastics, and glass are all sorted where suitable, and we encourage cleaner separation to improve the quality of recovered materials. In boroughs where household recycling collections are more structured, the focus may be on keeping paper and card dry, separating bottles and jars, and ensuring food waste stays out of dry recycling containers. This approach helps reduce rejection rates, increase processing efficiency, and strengthen the overall sustainability of local waste systems.
Partnerships with charities are another important part of our circular economy approach. Instead of treating every usable item as waste, we look for opportunities to redirect furniture, textiles, bric-a-brac, and other suitable goods to charitable organisations that can give them a second life. These partnerships help reduce landfill pressure while supporting community causes and extending the lifespan of items that still have value. Through reuse before recycling, we preserve resources and make sure that sustainability delivers both environmental and social benefits.
At the middle of our sustainability work is a commitment to low-emission operations. Our low-carbon vans help reduce transport-related emissions by improving fuel efficiency and lowering the carbon footprint of each collection route. These vehicles are chosen to support cleaner city travel and more responsible logistics, especially in busy urban areas where stop-start driving can otherwise raise emissions. Combined with route planning and careful load management, low-carbon vans play a practical role in reducing the environmental impact of everyday waste collection.
We also place strong emphasis on source separation, because better recycling begins before materials leave a property. In many boroughs, the waste stream is split into dry mixed recycling, food waste, and general refuse, with some areas adding dedicated streams for garden waste or batteries. By recognising these local differences, we can adapt our recycling operations and help materials move through the right channels from the start. This improves the quality of recovered resources and supports borough-level recycling ambitions without creating unnecessary complexity for residents or businesses.
Responsible recycling is not just about what happens after collection; it is also about building habits that support long-term sustainability. That includes encouraging clean, empty packaging, keeping items loose where required, and avoiding contamination from soft plastics, greasy containers, or non-recyclable materials. In practical terms, these small actions can make a significant difference to sorting performance and recovery rates. By improving the quality of incoming waste, we can increase the proportion that is recycled and help move closer to our recycling percentage target.
As part of our wider recycling and sustainability plan, we continue to strengthen partnerships with local transfer stations, reuse networks, and charitable routes for suitable goods. This joined-up approach supports a more resilient local system where materials are handled in the right way at the right time. It also helps communities understand that sustainability is not a single action but a series of connected decisions, from collection and separation to reuse, recovery, and low-carbon transport.
In the final stage of our sustainability commitment, we aim to keep improving year after year through better sorting, smarter logistics, and stronger community alignment. The result is a recycling service that reflects the needs of local boroughs, supports charitable reuse, and uses low-carbon vans to reduce environmental impact. With a focus on practical recycling activity, careful waste separation, and measurable targets, our recycling and sustainability work helps create cleaner streets, lower emissions, and a more circular future for the area.
