Annual Report highlights success of specialist recycling services

North Londoners took nearly 40,000 tonnes of unwanted items to their local reuse and recycling centres last year – almost four times the weight of the Eiffel Tower. 

It comes as North London Waste Authority (NLWA) continues to expand the range of materials collected across its sites, with 9,000 mattresses saved from waste every single month. North London’s first-of-its-kind expanded polystyrene service diverted more than five tonnes of the difficult-to-recycle material from the waste stream last year, while nearly 92 tonnes of DIY materials were offered for reuse to keep them in circulation for longer.  

This is on top of the 57,000 tonnes of food and garden waste and 124,414 tonnes of dry mixed recycling NLWA processed from households across its seven constituent boroughs. As set out in the 2023/24 Annual Report, there has been a significant increase compared to previous years, which reflects the addition of Enfield Council’s collections. 

Additionally, NLWA managed over 560,000 tonnes of residual waste last year – which is 250 times heavier than the London Eye. This is an increase of 6,414 tonnes compared to 2022/23, which is believed to be affected by economic growth, housing type and a return to normality following the pandemic. 

Councillor Clyde Loakes, Chair of NLWA, said: “It has been a really positive year thanks to the efforts of our fantastic officers and members, and great collaboration with our constituent boroughs. NLWA has shown it is a forward-looking organisation that delivers on big projects. 

“We’re committed to enabling north Londoners to manage their waste more sustainably, support the circular economy and tackle the climate emergency - which is why we are leading the way for recycling innovation. 

“We recognise that the most effective way to limit the environmental impact of waste is to produce less in the first place, which is why we will continue to work together with the industry, government and our communities to find solutions and take action.” 

Other NLWA achievements highlighted in the Annual Report, which was approved at June’s Annual General Meeting, include: 

• Completing construction of the new Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) at Edmonton EcoPark, which opened on 15 March 2024. 
• Continuing to recycle as many materials in the UK as possible, achieving 100% for metals, plastic and glass. 
• Awarding more than £200,000 of North London Community Fund grants to grass roots organisations to run waste prevention projects. 
• Increasing uptake of the reusable nappy voucher by 31%, preventing an estimated 813 tonnes of avoidable disposable nappy waste. 
• Receiving a positive report highlighting areas of strength and recommendations to build on them further following the Local Government Association corporate peer challenge.