Let’s talk less rubbish

Can you reduce your household’s rubbish to just one bag a week?

During summer 2022, people living on four Southwark estates cut their black bin bag waste to just one bag a week. The experiment was run by Veolia, our waste management contractor, and they reported an eight per cent reduction in rubbish and a 12 per cent increase in recycling, from the estates involved.

Around two thirds of the rubbish that goes into the average household bin in Southwark is recyclable. If everyone in Southwark recycled the right way, the impact on the environment would be the same as taking around 3,200 cars off the road.

By doing something as simple as putting recyclable items in the right bin, you are reducing your waste. This helps to protect the planet, but it can also save money. In Southwark, up to half of the waste collected in the rubbish is food. By planning your meals and freezing leftovers, you could save up to £60 a month.

Processing rubbish also costs us six times as much as recycling. This is money that could be better spent on much needed services, like social care or maintaining our council homes.