Bright, colourful, and eye-catching bins are being installed in Lambeth, as a new on-the-go recycling initiative is launched by environmental charity Hubbub and Lambeth Council.
This new initiative in Lambeth is part of #InTheLoop, the UK’s latest approach to boost recycling on-the-go, which was first trialled in Leeds in 2018.
Across the previous pilot projects, over 2.1 million plastic and glass bottles and cans were collected and recycled.
A recent waste study conducted by Hubbub and Lambeth Council reveals that only 6 in 10 plastic bottles, glass or cans ended up in the borough’s recycling bins.
#InTheLoop aims to position the eye-catching bins in busy areas across Waterloo, Vauxhall, Brixton, Clapham, Streatham, and West Norwood.
The bins will collect empty glass, plastic bottles, and cans, so these valuable materials can be made into something new instead of going to waste.
The bins are solar compacting and are fitted with smart sensors to detect how full the bin is, meaning they can capture more waste and need to be emptied less often.
They also feature a bright design and clear messaging, to make it easier for people to know what to put in the recycling bin and reduce the frequency of the recycling being too contaminated with the wrong items to recycle.
Lambeth Council will be working with Hubbub to measure the impact and effectiveness of the new bins.
The results and learnings from Lambeth #InTheLoop will contribute to the development of a blueprint for other local authorities to benefit from.
According to Circular Online, It is estimated that nine out of ten people recycle at home compared to four in ten, who recycle on-the-go.
Figures obtained by Greenpeace and CPRE found that in 2019, an estimated eight billion drinks containers failed to get recycled in the UK - this means they were either landfilled, incinerated, or littered.
According to the new Lumina Intelligence UK Food To Go Market Report 2022, the UK food to go market will fully recover to and exceed its pre-pandemic market value, with an estimated 32 per cent increase in the food-to-go market this year.
Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub, said: “We’re really excited to bring #InTheLoop to Lambeth. As the trend of on-the go consumption is set to continue, we want to give residents, workers and visitors a better and easier opportunity to recycle while out and about.
“Being able to trial these new eye-catching bins in areas with high footfall such as Waterloo, Brixton, Vauxhall, Clapham, Streatham, and West Norwood will greatly enable us to measure the effectiveness of the bins.
“We’re urging everyone to use the new bins and help us ensure that as much valuable packaging is recycled as possible.”
Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said: “These new smart bins give us all more opportunities to recycle our rubbish when we’re out and about in the borough. We all want to do our bit when it comes to being environmentally friendly, and this is another way to easily contribute.
“Using these new bins will also help keep our streets cleaner.
“In Lambeth the number of local people that are recycling at home has gone up over the last year, with the borough becoming the best in inner London.
“Let’s all try and match that by using these new bins to recycle more when we’re out of the house.”
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