Draft Business Waste Strategy PDF - london.gov.uk - Greater ...

124 Mayor of London
Making waste work in London The Mayor’s Draft Business Waste Management Strategy
5E The icing on the cake
A standard for London’s streets
5.54 Litter can affect the economic effectiveness of the city and also residents’
and visitors’ perceptions of London.
5.55 In 2002 the Mayor launched the Capital Standards campaign to improve
the cleanliness of London’s streets. The campaign, delivered in partnership
with most London boroughs, seeks to bring about a dramatic
improvement in London’s street environment and encourage and
implement schemes to recycle street waste. Some businesses are
recognising that they should share the responsibility for litter produced as
a result of their activities and have actively sponsored the Mayor’s ‘Litter
Fairy’ campaign or worked with local authorities and neighbouring
businesses to sponsor litterbins and signage.
5.56 ENCAMS has developed a new business engagement programme to
improve trade waste management and reduce litter 271 . The Keep Britain
Tidy Business Awards are a positive recognition of good practice and
provide businesses with an opportunity to communicate messages about
reducing and recycling litter to the public.
5.57 Businesses should take responsibility for litter that is generated as a result
of their activities, for example retail or take-away food, and work with
their local authority, neighbouring business or Business Improvement
District to take action. Local authorities have legislative support 272 to work
with businesses to reach agreement. Good examples include the recent
agreement between London’s free newspaper distributors and the
City of Westminster to site litter recycling bins.
Case study 62 - Freesheets agree to voluntary measures
to tackle waste
The publishers of London's two evening free newspapers, London Lite
and thelondonpaper, have agreed a protocol with Westminster City
Council for a voluntary regime to tackle the problem of waste newspapers
in the West End. As part of the new regime, they will purchase and install
around 40 council-approved recycling bins and recycle the contents.
Regular litter collections will also be carried out by the newspapers,
in addition to the council’s existing street sweeping.
The new regime follows extensive negotiations between the council
and the publishers to tackle the problem of newspaper waste. In July
2007, the council’s cabinet agreed to invoke powers under the Clean
Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 if a voluntary agreement
could not be reached.