Joint Waste Strategy
North London Waste Authority and its seven constituent boroughs play an important part in addressing the climate emergency on behalf of two million Londoners.
We have a clear ambition to deliver a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for north London. This is underpinned by four priorities:
- To support the reduction in household waste.
- To promote repairing, reusing and recycling where reduction isn’t possible.
- To reduce the environmental impact of disposal where there is no option to reuse or recycle.
- To deliver collaborative, community-focused services which provide value for money, maximise social value and minimise carbon impact.
A Joint Waste Strategy sets our vision for achieving these responsibilities. The last Joint Waste Strategy was published in 2004 and is now out of date.
We are therefore producing a new strategy, fit for the future, with the main goal of promoting the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle as part of a circular economy.
Development of the Joint Waste Strategy 2025-2040
In 2023, we ran a listening exercise that included pop-up events, focus groups and a short survey to gather the views of partners, residents, community groups and local businesses. This resulted in the listening exercise report, which summarises what participants told us about their environmental priorities.
Using findings from the listening exercise, we produced a draft Joint Waste Strategy and shared it for a 12-week consultation period from 1 November 2024 until 23 January 2025. The full draft strategy and a summary version can be found on the Commonplace page for the Joint Waste Strategy.
We are now collating and reviewing consultation responses. Feedback will help inform the final strategy which will be put forward for approval by all eight authorities later in 2025.
The draft North London Joint Waste Strategy has a bold, environmentally friendly vision, which will govern how we manage waste through to 2040. It includes ambitious targets to reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of, increase the amount of recycling, and use the most circular and climate-friendly means of disposal possible.
Following the principles of the waste hierarchy, the draft strategy has a strong emphasis on waste reduction. It also makes it clear that there is a hierarchy of influence, which starts with the government and includes manufacturers and retailers as well as individuals, councils and disposal authorities.
When it comes to waste reduction and the circular economy, different groups or organisations have different levels of influence. We list these below in order of highest impact to lowest:
- Government: Set policies and targets that lead to a reduction in waste. Create laws to make sure things are reusable, repairable and easy to recycle. Ensure the costs of disposal are covered by producers. Ban unnecessary items.
- Producers: Set policies and targets that lead to a reduction in waste. Create laws to make sure things are reusable, repairable and easy to recycle. Ensure the costs of disposal are covered by producers. Ban unnecessary items.
- Retailers: Do not stock unnecessary single use items. Allow people to bring back items for reuse. Do not encourage unsustainable consumption.
- Consumers: Only buy what is needed. Reuse or repair items where possible. Make use of recycling services.
- Councils: Provide easy to use, frequent recycling services. Make sure infrastructure and collections prioritise recycling over residual waste. Support local reuse and repair opportunities.
- Disposal authorities: Support local reuse and repair opportunities. Provide local infrastructure to recycle as many materials as possible. Minimise the environmental impact of waste disposal.
What roles are played by NLWA and its constituent boroughs?
Your local council and the NLWA are jointly responsible for waste and recycling in the borough. NLWA has three main responsibilities:
- Managing waste transportation and disposal on behalf of seven north London boroughs
- Managing recycling collected by our seven boroughs
- Promoting waste minimisation and recycling to preserve resources
Your local council has responsibilities for collecting the waste and recycling from residents (and some businesses) in their area.
Our aim is to preserve the resources and the environment today and for future generations. We are committed to innovation and careful planning to ensure we manage waste resources effectively and sustainably.
We work with residents, schools and businesses to promote waste minimisation and recycling to preserve resources and reduce the amount of waste that has to be disposed of.
How do NLWA and the constituent boroughs actively reduce waste?
NLWA and our seven constituent boroughs are responsible for providing waste and recycling services. We aim to provide services that achieve our waste reduction aim through the following actions:
- We work with residents, schools and businesses to promote waste minimisation (e.g. using leftover food in meal planning, buying items with less packaging);
- promoting repair and reuse of unwanted or broken items;
- recycling more things,
- Reducing the environmental impact of disposal where there is no option to reuse or recycle.
Ultimately, however, we also need other organisations and individuals to play a role in reducing waste.
Which other groups will need to work together to reduce waste?
Reducing waste is a team effort including the government, manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and of course the councils and NLWA are involved. Government must lead the way through the introduction of legislation in collaboration with these other groups.
Manufacturers can develop their products in ‘greener’ ways, helping reduce waste and making items last longer or be more easily repaired when broken.
As individuals, each of us make choices about what we buy and what we do with things when they are broken, unwanted or are considered rubbish to be thrown away. Often items can be repaired or reused, recycled or composted to avoid disposal.
What will the new Joint Waste Strategy attempt to achieve?
As part of the government’s target to reduce residual waste by 50%, our primary goal is to reduce the amount of waste that is burnt or put into landfill. In order to achieve this primary goal, we also aim to do the following:
- To support the reduction in household waste.
- To promote repairing, reusing and recycling where reduction isn’t possible.
- To reduce the environmental impact of disposal where there is no option to reuse or recycle.
- To provide collaborative, resident-focused services which provide value for money as well as the best social and carbon value.
The Waste Prevention Plan
For over ten years, NLWA has delivered an ambitious programme of waste prevention projects, schemes and campaigns. Read about the current Waste Prevention Plan covering 2022-25 on our page, Preserving Resources, Driving Change. It includes waste prevention activity and communications work delivered by NLWA to reduce the level of recycling contamination and increase recycling, supporting on-the-ground activity delivered by the constituent boroughs. The Plan delivers some of the activities included within borough Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs) required by the Mayor of the London. You can also see our previous plan, Residual Waste Reduction Plan 2021-22.