Eleven London boroughs make a clean sweep

Managing waste in a capital city requires world-class service, continuous innovation and a real willingness to listen to what residents have to say.

RAISING AWARENESS OF WASTE SORTING AND RECOVERY

The United Kingdom has set ambitious goals for energy recovery and waste recycling. Achieving success requires ongoing efforts to raise community awareness and encourage residents to change their habits and recycle more.

Veolia has had a presence in London since 1992 and now provides recycling, urban cleaning, waste management and grounds maintenance services to 11 London boroughs, including Westminster, Camden, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Brent and Southwark. We also implement creative waste treatment and recovery solutions for organizations large and small, including Claridges Hotel, Kingston University and the Metropolitan Police.
 

INNOVATION AT EVERY STAGE OF WASTE MANAGEMENT

The sorting centers operated by Veolia in London have implemented systems designed to improve plastic, glass, aluminum and steel, cardboard and paper recycling rates. A state-of-the-art integrated waste management facility in Southwark features a mechanical-biological sorting unit that treats the residual waste collected by separating recyclable and biodegradable components, which are converted to fuels. 

In addition, our SELCHP Energy Recovery Facility now facilitates a district heating network, providing a sustainable source of heat and hot water to 2,500 local homes from non-recyclable waste that is processed at the facility.

The integrated waste management facility in Southwark enables us to achieve a high recycling rate with quality materials.
Deborah Collins
Strategic Director of Environment and Leisure, Southwark Council

Key Figures

4,000 employees and 1,500 vehicles

1.6 million t of waste handled
each year

2,870,000 residents and 1,130,000 properties served

Customer benefits

  • Excellent quality of service
  • A higher energy recovery and waste recycling rate
  • Technical and community innovation 

Solutions

  • Logistics: conventional and high-performance collection
  • Urban cleaning
  • Waste separation: high-precision sorting, remotely operated sorting and mechanical-biological sorting
  • Recycling: secondary raw materials recycled
  • Energy recovery: energy recovery facility, production of refuse-derived fuel (RDF)
  • Management and human capital: personnel management, vocational training
  • Awareness raising: dialogue with stakeholders, incentive pricing, dedicated education and outreach teams