Thursday 7 July 2022
Lambeth Council In the Loop about new solar-powered recycling bins
Bright and colourful solar-powered bins are being rolled out in Brixton and other parts of Lambeth as part of a new on-the-go-recycling initiative.
It has teamed up with environmental charity Hubbub for the 'Lambeth #InTheLoop' campaign, which is expected to make it “as easy as possible” for residents and visitors to recycle empty items such as glasses, plastic bottles and cans to improve local recycling rates.
The 80 new “eye-catching” bins, being installed in Waterloo, Brixton, Clapham, Streatham and West Norwood, are solar compacting and are fitted with smart sensors to detect how full the bin is, which means they can capture more waste and need to be emptied less often.
The bright design is also expected to make it easier for people to know what to put in the recycling bin and reduce it being contaminated with the wrong items to recycle.
Statistics suggest roughly 13 billion plastic bottles, nine billion drinks cans and nearly three billion coffee cups are used in the UK every year, however, a lot of the packaging isn't currently recycled.
A recent study by Hubbub and Lambeth Council revealed only six in 10 plastic bottles, glass or cans ended up in the borough's recycling bins.
Coffee cups will be collected separately in a small-scale trial in Brixton using new dedicated cup recycling bins as they have a unique blend of paper and a plastic coating, which means they need their own separate collection to be recycled properly.
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.”
