Refuse Collection

  Chutes bring recycling success

An innovative recycling chute project on one of London’s high-rise estates has resulted in residents more than doubling their recycling rates. The Westminster City Council scheme on the Hallfield Estate in Paddington was designed to make it easier for residents of flats to recycle on a daily basis. The project was introduced on a trial period after it was revealed that people living in high-rise blocks were less likely to recycle.

The success of the chutes has led to them being confirmed as permanent fixtures, as the council looks to apply the process to other estates in the area.

“A typical family in Westminster produces half a tonne of waste a year, and half of that is recyclable, so to make a difference it became apparent that we would have to find a way to make it easier for people in flats to recycle,” explained Councillor Alan Bradley, Cabinet Member for Street Environment at Westminster City Council.

“I think it’s a great idea and one I fully supported from the start,” said Siobhan McAuliffe, Village Manager on the Hallfield Estate. “It doesn’t surprise me that the amount of rubbish now being recycled has gone up so much. It was clear that residents across the estate were keen to recycle, but previous methods were always inconvenient. Now recycling fits into their daily routine.”

Household residents in Westminster recorded an average of 18% recycled waste in 2006, but this figure is already being surpassed with 20% recycled so far this year.