FAQs

You can take most types of waste and recycling to our reuse and recycling centres. This includes good quality furniture for us to sell in our reuse shop. You can check which things we accept by searching on our A-Z of waste items.

We are currently unable to offer educational visits at our reuse and recycling centres but are working on changing that. Keep checking back on this page from time to time for updates.

For question related to the NLHPP, please refer to this FAQ page.

You can make as many visits to a reuse and recycling centre as you like in a day.

All our reuse and recycling centres are accessible to pedestrians and cyclists with the exception of Hornsey Street which has a dedicated pedestrian drop-off point at the Hornsey Street depot entrance. Please note that this drop-off point is only in operation during the opening hours stated on the RRC page. Asbestos or other hazardous material can not be accepted at the drop-off point.

If you want to cancel a van booking, you need to find the email which confirms what day and time you have booked. Look down at the bottom of that email and you will see the text, "To cancel your booking please visit our cancel booking page". Click on the link on the words "cancel booking page" and follow the steps to cancel your booking.

If you have any problems with this process, just email enquiries@londonenergyltd.com or telephone the site you have booked.

No, you can visit as many times as you wish unless you are using a van. Van visits are limited to six per person/van per year to reduce the possibility of commercial waste being brought to our resident reuse and recycling centres. This is currently checked on the system via vehicle reg which can cause problems for hire vans but we're aware of it and looking into addressing it

Paint and varnish that can be reused can be taken to any of our reuse and recycling centres except Hornsey Street. This service is part of the Community Repaint reuse scheme, which saves unwanted paint from going to waste. You can either drop off or collect unwanted paint depending on what is available. You can enter your postcode in the search box and it will direct you to our nearest reuse and recycling centre offering the service.

Check out our paint page for more information.

For new bin orders please contact your local council.

We are north London's disposal authority so we do not collect waste from people's homes. For more more information on dealing with larger items please check out our dedicated page.

If someone else drives their van carrying your waste, you need to be with them when they come to the reuse and recycling centre. You must also make the van booking in your own name and both you and the driver need to bring proof of identity on the day.

You do not need a booking for a standard vehicle but if you are using a van please use this booking form.

Recyclables collected from households are sorted in north London at Biffa's Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Edmonton, Enfield. Biffa sorts the mixed dry recycling (cans, paper, plastic, glass etc.) and then sends that sorted material to reprocessors who will recycle it into something new. Visit our recycling destinations page for more information or read our blog.

If food, drink or oil gets into the recycling, it can spoil the quality of the other materials, especially paper and card and result in a lower grade final product.

If you've accidentally put something valuable in the household waste or recycling bin you should call your local council right away. If it's still in the collection vehicle they might be able to help.

If the waste/recycling has already been processed, you can contact us to let us know, but unfortunately the chances of finding any items are extremely low. The volume of waste and recycling we collect on a daily basis is so vast that it's virtually impossible to retrieve something after it's been compressed and delivered, and neither are we able to sort through waste at the materials recovery facility or other sites.

A guide to the information we publish is available on our website here.

In order to register for this scheme, charities need to be able to

demonstrate that they are registered with the Charity Commission, are based in one of our seven boroughs and are registered as a waste carrier. This is a legal requirement, but it is usually free of charge for charities wishing to transport only their own wastes -To learn more and register have a look at our charity waste page.

Reuse and Recycling Centres (RRCs) are only for residents to use, not businesses. RRCs are paid for through council tax so it would not be fair to allow businesses and traders to use them. Businesses have a legal responsibility to get rid of their rubbish properly. This is called a ‘duty of care’.

We have a booking system for vans and trailers to try to stop businesses from bringing their rubbish to RRCs. We realise that some residents need to use a van or trailer from time to time, and we do not want to stop them from doing this. The system just allows us to carry out some checks on the visitor, or take action if we believe a business has used an RRC illegally.

If you aren’t sure whether your vehicle needs to be booked in the ‘van booking’ system, contact us with the make and model (or photographs), and we’ll be able to confirm.

 

Compost from north London’s food and garden waste is no longer offered for free to community groups and allotments. The service had to stop when our compost plant at the Edmonton EcoPark closed in 2018. Ground investigation work was needed to prepare for the new Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). The ground investigation work needed to be carried out in the area where the In-Vessel Composter (IVC) was located, which meant that the IVC will be closed for the foreseeable future. We are keeping this under review and will in future look at the use of land on the EcoPark site following completion of the new Energy Recovery Facility.

 Further details are available on our website.

You can simply go to our enquiry page and order one using the dropdown box and filling in your details. Your sticker will arrive in a few days.

Our A-Z page contains detailed information on whether an item is recyclable or not and will help find out how to dispose of all types of items

If you’re a local organisation or individual whose operations are based in Barnet, Enfield, Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, or Waltham Forest you can use the easy online form. Tell us: who you are; what type of materials/items you’re seeking; the quantity; a bit more about collection logistics; and what you intend to do with the materials.

Please note: this is an interest-gathering exercise, and we cannot guarantee the supply of any items for your project. Please be as specific as you can with what you intend to do with any materials collected.