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What's in your bin?

The majority of what’s in the average rubbish bin could have been recycled.

How does yours compare?

What's in your bin?
A graphic showing the contents of an average rubbish bin in the SLWP region. One-third (by weight) is food waste.

How can you help?

Don’t think you can make a difference? Think again!

With one million residents across the SLWP region, it doesn’t take much at an individual level to make a big collective difference. Find out what you can do to help tackle the waste challenge.

How can you help?
A shopper putting fruit in a reusable net bag.

Can you recycle it?

Keen to do your bit and recycle, but not sure which bin something should go in?

Search our ‘BinSmart’ directory of common household items to find out.

Can you recycle it?
A confused looking woman holding a bag full of different types of plastic.

Destination recycling

Separating and sorting your recycling into different bins is just the start of amazing journey.

What happens to your recycling after it’s been collected? Where does it go? What’s it turned into? Find out here.

Destination recycling
Inside of a Materials Recovery Facility operated by Veolia in Southwark, London

Waste into energy

Waste that cannot be recycled is treated at a state-of-the art facility in Beddington, Sutton.

Here the waste is burned at extremely high temperatures in strictly controlled conditions and used to generate electricity, feeding the National Grid with low carbon energy.

Waste into energy
Illustration of the Beddington Energy Recovery Facility in Sutton

Visit our facilities

It’s very important to us that residents have faith in their local recycling and waste management systems.

We work with our commercial partners to offer tours of local recycling and waste treatment facilities.

Visit our facilities
A group of students touring the Beddington Energy Recovery Facility in Sutton