Ealing installs new ‘on the go’ recycling bins

Ealing Council has installed new recycling bins across the borough in a bid to encourage people to recycle away from home and boost local recycling rates.

Five new ‘on the go’ recycling bins (including those pictured, right) have been installed as part of the council’s efforts to increase recycling rates (currently around 40 per cent) to reach the EU targets of recycling 50 per cent of waste by 2020.   

The bins, which accept mixed paper, plastic, cans, tins, and foil for recycling, have been installed at Ealing Common, Northala Fields, Acton Park, Elthorne Park and Norwood Green.

Each bin has been decorated with an environmental message designed by local young people. The designs were chosen following a competition that saw 100 students aged between five and 16 enter.

Twenty of the entries have been selected to feature on the bins.

“New service has extended the boundaries of recycling”

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “The new service has extended the boundaries of recycling to outside the house, making it possible for residents to recycle even more. The bins complement our fast paced lifestyle, and now, whether you’re at home or outdoors, you can recycle and help the environment.”

The ‘on the go’ bins are the newest initiative Ealing Council has taken to increase recycling rates in the area, after it launched the recycling reward scheme Residents Rewards, in association with incentive company Greenredeem, in April.

Funded through part of the council’s £1.1 million grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Weekly Collection Support Scheme, Residents Rewards incentivises people to recycle by giving them points for recycling and doing ‘other everyday green actions,’ which can be exchanged for vouchers to spend in shops and leisure facilities.

Recycle on the Go

This new scheme is part of the Waste & Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) ‘Recycle on the Go’ initiative, which was created to encourage local authorities and businesses to provide conveniently located recycling bins around their borough, so that people are able to recycle when they are out and about in public locations.

WRAP has issued guidance to those interested in setting up public recycling facilities, which includes information on how to promote a Recycling on the Go scheme, how to properly label bins, and different scheme options, amongst others.

Read more about setting up Recycle on the Go facilities.