Gateway Road Reuse and Recycling Centre is now closed.
NLWA disposes of waste for the seven north London boroughs: Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest. They are responsible for collecting the waste produced within their boroughs and NLWA disposes of it. When thinking about waste, we always aim to prevent it in the first instance, secondly we look for the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of it. By embedding this approach, we can tackle the huge impact waste has on the environment.
Did you know?
North Londoners produce approximately 570,000 tonnes of waste every year! That's the equivalent of over 45,000 double-decker buses! [Source: NLWA]
North Londoners produce approximately 570,000 tonnes of waste every year! That's the equivalent of over 45,000 double-decker buses! [Source: NLWA]
Once the boroughs collect the waste it is delivered to various locations dependent on what needs to be disposed of. Recycling is separated into different types for example paper, cans, and plastic. It's then sent off to specialist facilities to be processed into something new. Ever wondered where your recycling ends up?
Waste that can't be recycled is taken to the energy from waste (EfW) plant where it's treated and used for the production of heat and power.
Below you will find resources related to what happens to your waste once it’s been collected.
NLHPP school engagement programme
The history of waste in the UK
All things waste
‘The Pod’ have created a free detailed information pack around all things waste and recycling such as:
- What waste is and what are the different types of waste
- What we do with our waste and the decomposition timeline
- Facts and figures on waste and recycling
- Household and school food waste
- Litter
- 10 top tips to reduce waste in schools!
To get your pack, create a free account and download the resource here.
External source: The Pod
Recycling
If waste cannot be reduced or reused, then recycling is a great way to turn rubbish into something useful again. Recycling that's been collected in north London is taken to be sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility. Our contractor, Biffa, has a handy video here that explains the process. We also have our own article which explains what happens to your recycling.
External source: Biffa
Take a look inside our very own materials recovery facility with our What happens to north London's recycling? Informative video below.
An introduction to recycling
Where to start? Find free classroom activities and PowerPoints introducing the topic of recycling for KS1 And KS2 from The Action Pack.
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What can we recycle?
Check out our A-Z of what can and can’t be recycled from home in north London. Please do check if you’re unsure before putting something in the recycling. If you can't find an answer there, do let us know!
Rubbish
What should you do with your rubbish?
A short video put together by BBC bitesize, What should I do with my rubbish?, explains to your students about the benefits of recycling on the environment. It’s accompanied by a recycling sorting activity which is great to do in a lesson – why not have the real things on hand to practice in class too!
The rubbish that can’t be recycled goes to our Energy from Waste (EfW) plant to be incinerated. The plant generates electricity that not only powers the operations around the EcoPark but also homes and businesses in north London.
Get an insider's look on What happens to north London's waste from our video below.
To help tackle the climate emergency and to prevent rubbish from going to landfill, we are redeveloping the EcoPark and building a world-class Energy Recovery Facility. The new EcoPark will be the greenest waste hub of its kind in the country and will include the development of a new Education Centre. To find out more on the site, watch the video below.
NLHPP school engagement programme
The Project has been commissioned by NLWA to build a new energy from waste facility. This is a multi-year large-scale project which will redevelop the 52-year old Edmonton EcoPark, delivering a new sustainable waste hub to replace the existing energy from waste plant and provide flagship recycling facilities for north London's residents.
As part of the social value commitments associated with the Project, an in-person school engagement programme is being run for students across the seven NLWA boroughs (Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest, Barnet, Camden, Hackney and Islington).
This consists of in-school workshop delivery on four main topics for secondary school students:
- Recycling and Waste;
- Energy from Waste;
- Delivering a large-scale construction project; and
- Career Insights.
The Project is also now offering student site visits to the EcoPark. These can only be accommodated on Thursdays.
For primary schools, the NLHPP deliver a 'Guardians of the Earth' workshop which is appropriate for KS2. The workshop focuses on the role students can play in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
This can be adapted to meet the needs of your school (including SEN schools and PRUs).
Please email NLHPP@NLWA.gov.uk if you are interested in participating in the NLHPP Schools Programme. For further details, please also see the schools page of the NLHPP website.
What happens to our rubbish?
Another good starting point on the topic of rubbish is this video put together by the BBC. It teaches young children about the journey of their rubbish and gives a good insight into the scale of the waste we produce!
External source: BBC Teach
The history of waste in the UK
This engaging video is on the history of waste production in the UK. It is one hour long and more suitable for older children (KS2) with curriculum links to history.