Green bins will finally begin arriving at London homes this week.
The City of London will begin the two-month process of delivering the roughly 120,000 food waste receptacles to homes in the city on Monday. The bins are going to residences that currently place their garbage and recycling at the curb. Delivery is beginning in west London in collection Zone A.
In addition to the large green bin that is placed outside for pickup, Londoners will get a smaller kitchen container. It is designed to conveniently collect food scraps and prevent them from causing indoor odours before they can be deposited in the green bin. The container is small enough to be stored on or under your kitchen counter, according to city officials.
Also included in the green bin delivery will be a copy of the new 2024 Waste Reduction and Conservation Guide. Inside of that, Londoners will find a list of collection dates, information on how to use the kitchen container and green bin, and a list of what can and can't go in the bin.
“We’re thrilled that homes are beginning to receive their Green Bin,” Jay Stanford, the city's director of climate change, environment, and waste management, said in a statement. “Over the coming months, the city will be engaging Londoners about how and when to begin using the Green Bin, and what materials go where at the curb. There is much work still to be done and we appreciate Londoners’ patience as Green Bins are distributed.”
The city plans to complete bin delivery by mid-December with the Green Bin Program slated to officially begin the week of January 15, 2024.
Green bins and recycling will be picked up weekly, while garbage will be shifted to an every other week collection schedule. This differs from the current system and means Londoners will have to hold onto garbage for an extra four to six days each collection period. The collection day will remain on the same day each week between statutory holidays. Following each statutory holiday, the schedule will move forward one day, meaning collection day will change about 10 times a year instead of every week.
City officials have stated that green bins combined with proper recycling can reduce greenhouse gases, turn waste into a new resource that feeds local farms and soil, and extend the life of landfills by keeping organic materials out. The introduction of the program in the city is part of London's Climate Emergency Action Plan and Strategic Plan.
London's Green Bin program has been in the works for over a decade. The city ran a one-year pilot project in 2011, but repeatedly had trouble getting a permanent city-wide program off the ground. Final approval was granted by city council earlier this year.
The program is considered the most significant waste collection change in London in more than 25 years.
