Recycling - What's New

Watch Your Waste Week, 4 - 12 October

Watch Your Waste Week aims to raise awareness of waste prevention and highlight the many ways in which you can cut your waste. There will be a range of fun events on during the week, ranging from the Watch Your Waste Challenge to the Ditch ‘n’ Switch- Fashion Swapping Party - to find out what's on and how you can get involved, click on the Environmental Events link on the left.

Environmental Events

We've organised some some fun and informative events over next few months to help promote understanding of environmental issues. All events are free. For more information, see the Environmental Events link on the left.

Compost Giveaways

Islington Council will be giving away free compost made from your food and green waste – all you need to do is bring along a heavy duty bag and collect it. The compost is certified PAS 100 standard and is suitable for use as a soil improver. It is not recommended for seedlings.

Some events are still being finalised so please check the website nearer to the date of the event for confirmation.

• Tuesday 25 November - Highbury Quadrant N5, Cleaner Greener Day (exact location to be confirmed)

Chute Recycling on Estates

Following successful recycling trials in the EC1 NDC area, six estates have received a brand new chute recycling scheme. On each of the estates, chutes have been converted so that residents can use one chute to recycle, and another chute to dispose of their refuse.

Islington Council are trying hard to ensure that all residents have easily accessible recycling facilities. These new facilities mean that recycling is easier than ever for six estates.

These are:

• Rahere House
• President House
• Turnpike House
• Galway House
• Grayson House
• Gastigny House

Lagonier House and Anchor House also use chute recycling systems.

Corn starch biobags for the food waste collection

Islington Council have introduced new environmentally friendly corn starch biobags that can be used to line the kitchen food waste bins after listening to residents suggestions on how to improve our scheme. The corn starch bags were piloted in Islington in early 2008 and, after positive feedback, are now on sale at many local retailers.

It is important to remember that no other bags can be used in the food waste bins. These corn starch bio bags have been approved by our composting site. Note that they will disintegrate if wet or left outside. Corn starch bags are optional and residents can continue to use the kitchen waste bins without any bags if they so wish.

About a quarter of Islington’s household rubbish is now food waste and when food waste rots in landfill it produces the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. This means you can help stop climate change by recycling your food.

New bags for green waste!

The new green waste collection bags have been introduced after we piloted a number of different ways of collecting green waste and asked residents which type of container you preferred. Residents chose this reusable sack because it is a handy size, does not get too heavy for residents or collectors to carry and it can be folded away when not in use. 

To recycle your green waste simply put it in the reusable bag and place it out at 8am on your normal refuse and recycling collection day. You can mark your house number on the sack. You can continue to place any extra green waste in an open sack or bin liner for collection.