‘Household heroes’: local recycling crews see their names up in lights

Unless you’re Tom Cruise or one of the Avengers, you probably haven’t seen your face on the side of a bus stop.

But across north London this month it’s a different set of heroes who are in the spotlight – the staff of the local recycling collection crews. These unsung heroes are the face of a new campaign that sees them featuring on the side of bus stops around the local area.

The campaign is called Together We Recycle and is being delivered by North London Waste Authority, Biffa Waste Services and the north London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. As well as teaching residents how to sort their recycling at home, it introduces them to the everyday heroes who collect that recycling and make sure it goes where it needs to.

As part of the campaign, recycling crew will feature not just in bus stop ads but social media posts and educational leaflets delivered to some residents. Residents will get the chance to share their gratitude by writing a message of thanks on the NLWA website.

NLWA Chair Councillor Clyde Loakes was excited to see the ads pop up across north London. “In north London we have one of the most extensive recycling services in the country, provided to every household. Our recycling crews play a vital role, working hard day in, day out to collect household recycling and take it to the sorting facility. This campaign celebrates their hard work and encourages residents to put the right thing in the right bins. Our crews deserve the superhero treatment as much as any movie star!”