Urban waste and its disposal

• ·         Most of London’s municipal waste is sent to incineration. In 2021,64% of waste was sent to incineration. The UK average is 48%.

  ·         In 2021, 30% was recycled.

  ·         The remaining 6% was sent to landfill.
• ·         Example of incinerator plant: Belvedere Incinerator, Bexley processes 670,000 tonnes and produces enough energy to power 60,000 homes.

  Example of landfill: Rainham Landfill in Havering buries 1 million tonnes a year
• ·         London Mayor Sadiq Khan opposes any new incinerators as he believes it discourages councils from improving recycling rates.

  London aims to be a zero-waste city. By 2026 no biodegradable or recyclable waste will be sent to landfill, and by 2030, 65% of London’s municipal waste will be recycled
• London is well below the UK average for recycling, especially poorer boroughs like Newham (20%). The link between poverty and recycling rates is well known, and is likely because of lack of storage space for recycling bins, high density housing, lack of clear communication, and inability to prioritise recycling as a result of poverty