Green green sacks of home – new Hackney recycling scheme launched

Green sacks make recycling easier, says Hackney Council. Image: Hackney Council

After months of grey it appears Hackney will soon be awash with green as the new recycling scheme comes into effect on 1 March.

Green plastic bags will replace green boxes and will be used by residents in street level properties, flats above shops and on low rise estates.

Over 41,000 households will receive the bags, which are 90 per cent recycled, and recyclable, in the biggest shake up to collections since recycling was first introduced to the borough.

The new scheme, which has already had a successful trial in Cazenove ward, allows for residents to mix all their dry recycling material together in a system called ‘commingling’.

Despite the fact that recycling is compulsory for all street-level properties in the borough, Hackney currently recycles only 25 per cent of its waste.

A spokesperson for Hackney Council said a 34 per cent recycling rate by 2020 is what is predicted to be achieved as a result of this change.

He also said the 34% figure does not take into account increases in food and garden waste recycling which the Council is addressing.

The council has previously stated a target of 40 per cent by 2015.

Cllr Feryal Demirci, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “I can’t emphasise enough the importance of the need to increase the amount we recycle because both financially and environmentally we cannot afford to continue with the current service.”

The council pays a staggering amount of money in landfill tax due to its weak recycling figures.

For 2011/12 it has been confirmed that the council paid £5.4m in landfill tax and it has been projected they will pay £7.8m in 2015/16.

Commingling produces less recycling of a high standard due to an increased risk of contamination, but the council, faced with the spiralling landfill levy, are opting for quantity over quality.

Cllr Demirci said: “In terms of whether it’s quantity over quality, all government targets at the moment are based on quantity, not quality, and we are penalised for not meeting the tonnage.

“We have a target of 50 per cent regionally in North London set by the North London Waste Authority to achieve by 2020, so to ensure we meet the government targets we have to increase the amount of recycling.”

A zero per cent waste policy is a long way off for the council but they do believe that expansions in food waste and garden waste collection, for which they have just received a £1.3m grant, could help them push their recycling figures to higher levels and make a dent in the 66 per cent of Hackney residents who are not yet recycling.