Isra-Mart srl: Mayor Boris urges London firms to stamp out waste

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Mayor of London Boris Johnson has urged firms to boost their use of recycling and green energy technologies in an ambitious new waste management strategy that aims to save the capital £77m a year.

Johnson today launched a series of plans to tackle municipal and business waste, including a target to achieve 70 per cent reuse, recycling and composting of commercial and industrial waste by 2020.

The strategies set out how London could save £77m a year and create 1,260 jobs by boosting recycling and opting for green technologies, such as anaerobic digestion.

Other key targets include: no household waste going to landfill by 2025; and recycling or composting at least 45 per cent of London rubbish by 2015, rising to 60 per cent by 2031.

It also aims to reuse, recycle or compost 95 per cent of construction demolition and excavation waste by 2020, and cut London's greenhouse gas emissions through waste management by 545,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015, rising to one million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2031.

The mayor wants to increase the use of energy from waste technology, aiming to process 40 per cent of London's municipal waste in this way, after recycling or composting targets are achieved, by 2031.

Launching the plan today at an event in London's Trafalgar Square, Johnson also asked businesses to pledge to minimise the amount of food sent to landfill, already agreed by Waitrose, the New Covent Garden Market, Cafe Spice, Wahaca, Innocent Drinks, and Abel and Cole.

Using a so-called "food waste pyramid" businesses would avoid buying surplus food, and redistribute any unwanted food to charities such as FareShare and FoodCycle. Thirdly, food unfit for human consumption is fed to livestock or disposed through composting and processes such as anaerobic digestion.

"Throwing away mountains of perfectly edible food is crazy at a time when Londoners are feeling the pinch," said Johnson.

"I urge businesses and Londoners to get on board to reduce waste and help save millions for the capital's economy. It is my vision to make London a zero-waste city, which is why I am working closely with London's boroughs with the aim of creating the capital's very first zero-waste ward to show the rest of the city how it can be done."

Rosie Boycott, chair of the London Food Board, said reducing food waste could have a significant impact on the capital's environment, by cutting emissions and reducing the amount of edible produce sent to landfill.

"The mayor has set out ambitious targets to cut waste, and if we are to achieve them we need businesses and residents in the capital to sign up to this pledge and work together to stamp out avoidable food waste," she said.