A recent analysis of residual waste and recycling streams has shown that residents are not only throwing less waste in their black bins, but also in many instances are recycling more of their food.

When comparing the April 2021–­­March 2022 period with April 2022–March 2023, the Council reported a 3% reduction in the tonnage of residual waste collected from all homes in Hounslow. Residents who live in flats are recycling more too, with a 9% increase in recycling tonnage collected from flats over the same period.

A huge 50% increase in food waste recycling tonnage for flats has also been recorded when comparing April– September 2022 collections, with April–September 2023. The report is also good news for the Council, given that disposing of a tonne of recycled waste is roughly 10x cheaper than disposing of a tonne of black-sack residual waste.

Provisional findings from Q1 of 2023 also show a borough-wide recycling rate of 37.8% for the period, which is a significant increase on the 36.2% recycling rate reported for 2022/2023.  

Improving recycling rates is a top priority for the Council, with its Reduction and Recycling Plan targeting recycling rates of 45% by 2025, and 50% by 2030.

Councillor Guy Lambert, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Recycling and Health Integration said: ‘I was pleased to receive the latest data from West London Waste Authority that shows that less waste is being collected each year in Hounslow, and that recycling tonnage from flats has increased by almost 10% since March 2021. Even through a pandemic and with an uncertain financial climate, our residents want to do the right thing.

‘With ongoing cost-of-living challenges for many, wasting less is a great way to save everyone money. It’s cheaper for residents to throw less away, and cheaper for the Council to dispose of less waste. It’s a win-win.’

‘The Council supports National Recycle Week each year because we’re passionate about the change we want to see in Hounslow. Our No Time to Waste campaign is equally crucial in supporting residents on their recycling journey and helping us to collectively reduce waste across our borough. Keep up the good work, Hounslow.’

Dan Smyth, Director of Recycling & Sustainability at Lampton Services, says: “We are proud to be supporting Hounslow’s local community by making recycling solutions simpler and more accessible. The rise we are seeing in Hounslow’s recycling rate reflects a joint effort from our team, local residents, and local businesses to create a greener borough, in line with the Council’s sustainability goals.” 

The Council is supporting National Recycle Week 2023 (16 – 22 October) and ‘The Big Recycling Hunt’, and is committed to promoting both London-wide and national campaigns that help promote sustainability.

This year’s theme for Recycle Week is ‘missed capture’; the items that can be recycled but are commonly missed in the home, including empty aerosols, food tins, plastic cleaning and toiletry bottles, pots, tubs, and trays.

The Council launched its flagship waste and recycling campaign No Time to Waste in March 2023 to support Hounslow residents with recycling more and wasting less.

Hounslow’s No Time to Waste FAQ File is a one-stop shop to support residents with what items can be recycled, where they need to be placed, and what different recycling symbols mean.

To help create a greener and cleaner Hounslow, the Council is investing £3.8m to tackle waste, litter, and improve recycling rates with its partners West London Waste Authority and Lampton Services.

First staged in 2004, Recycle Week is now the UK’s largest national annual recycling campaign. It’s a week where citizens, media, local governments, and brands come together to meet one goal; to galvanise everyone into recycling more of the right things, more often.

WRAP is a climate action NGO working around the globe to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future.

• Recycling doesn’t have to be confusing. To find out what can be recycled in your area, use Recycle Now’s Recycling Locator: Recycle an Item | Recycle Now.
• For support with waste management and for tips and advice on how to save money and improve recycling habits, residents can visit Hounslow’s www.notime-towaste.co.uk