The service information presented for the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea was last updated in August 2008. Information was verified by borough contacts. The authors of this website are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Data relating to targets and performance is taken from Defra's Environment statistics.

Dry Recycling

65,358 households are served by a kerbside collection service up to three times a week. Materials are collected co-mingled in orange bags, which are now delivered free of charge to all kerbside properties eligible for the scheme every three months. Alternatively, supermarket carrier bags or dustbins can be filled with recyclables and labeled with an orange "Bag Tag" or "Bin Sticker", provided free of charge at all local libraries.  Recycling is collected on the same day and at the same time as rubbish using a split back vehicle to reduce congestion on the roads. The following materials are collected:

• aerosols (empty)
• cardboard
• drinks cartons
• food and drink cans
• glass bottles and jars
• paper
• plastic bottles
• yellow pages

Organics

A fortnightly green garden waste collection service operates seasonally and serves 83,880 households. The scheme uses a reusable sack into which residents can place leaves, grass cuttings, weeds and plants, flowers, twigs and hedge trimmings.  

Dry Recycling

21,898 households on 361 estates are served by bring recycling systems. Materials are taken by residents to co-mingled 660 or 1,100 litre recycling bins located near to the entrance of their block.

550 estate households are served by a weekly door to door collection service. Materials are collected in orange sacks, which are delivered to residents free of charge. Both estate services collect the following materials:

• aerosols (empty)
• cardboard
• drinks cartons
• food and drink cans
• glass bottles and jars
• paper (all types)
• plastic bottles
• yellow pages

Flats Above Shops

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will collect recycling and refuse from residents living in flats above shops up to three times a week. Recycling is placed in an orange recycling bag whilst refuse is placed in a black refuse bag. Residents can also place their recycling in the on-street recycling banks. The Council offers a collection of large, bulky waste for a fee. All these services are permanent. Orange recycling bags are delivered to residents quarterly. Recycling and refuse should be placed out for collection by 7am on day of collection only.

Household Reuse and Recycling Centre

Bring Banks

There are 26 public bring sites in Kensington and Chelsea, collecting the following materials in 1,100 litre co-mingled recycling bins:

• aerosols (empty)
• cardboard
• food and drink cans
• glass bottles and jars
• paper (all types)
• plastic bottles

Some sites also collect:

• books
• household batteries (council buildings only)
• mobile phones (Sainsbury’s Ladbroke Grove only)
• shoes
• textiles
• toner cartridges

Home Composting

Residents wishing to start home composting can purchase a composter from Thames Water for £10.

For more information visit: http://www.getcomposting.com/thames/index2.htm 

Nappy Waste

Kensington and Chelsea supports Real Nappy Week through local promotional events and a real nappy display board is exhibited throughout the year at various points around the borough such as the town hall.  A £45 subsidy is available for new parents to put towards the cost of real nappies or a nappy laundry service.

Real Nappies for London is a new London-wide scheme to provide parents with an opportunity to try real nappies.  Kensington and Chelsea council has joined Real Nappies for London and if you have a child under the age of 18 months, you could be entitled to claim an information pack and voucher.  For more information please visit: http://www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk/index.php

Junk Mail Reduction

A Junk Mail campaign is running, across the Western Riverside Waste Authority area, by the Recycle Western Riverside campaign, promoting five simple steps that residents can follow to reduce the amount of junk mail they receive. For more information visit: www.westernriverside.org/junkmail.php.

Waste Exchange

A Kensington and Chelsea freecycle website is in operation providing a service where residents can give and take unwanted items for free.  For more information visit: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/EnvironmentalServices/RubbishRecyclingLitter/freecycle.asp

Material Aware Shopping

The council promotes green shopping to residents and distributes cloth shopping bags to residents.

The Recycle Western Riverside Campaign also runs the "Taste the water" and "What not to waste" campaigns. The "Taste the water" campaign encourages residents to drink tap water instead of buying bottled and the "What not to waste" campaign is an  award winning eco-makeover, working with families to transform Western Riverside households from 'wasters' to winners in six weeks.

Bulky Waste

Fridges and freezers can be taken to the Western Riverside Reuse and Recycling Centre located in Wandsworth. Alternatively, the council will collect them from residents free of charge. Harmful CFCs are extracted before the rest of the machine is recycled.

Residents can contact the council for information about local charities that collect reusable furniture. If furniture is not reusable then residents can arrange a special collection; up to ten items will be collected from ground floor or basement level for a charge of £22. There is no charge to residents in receipt of housing and or council tax benefit. Items will only be collected from other levels, by prior arrangement, if the resident is elderly, disabled or there are other special circumstances. Unwanted furniture can also be taken to the Western Riverside Reuse and Recycling Centre located in Wandsworth.

Litter

Commuter recycling bins are located at all London Underground stations in Kensington and Chelsea.

Street sweepers are provided with orange sacks to collect recyclable litter and information about the borough's recycling scheme is fixed to their barrows.

Street sweepers also collect uncontaminated leaves for composting during the autumn.

Schools Recycling

Approximately 20 schools have an external recycling bin for the collection of:

• cans
• glass bottles and jars
• paper

Schools can take part in the Recycle Western Riverside campaign, which aims to raise awareness of waste and recycling issues at a local level.

Schools can also visit the education centre at Western Riverside Waste Authority’s Smuggler’s Way transfer station to find out what happens to their waste. Pupils will be shown an educational video "Wealth Hidden in Waste" and receive worksheets, which tie in with new pages on the educational waste website www.capitalwastelearning.com. The project was funded by the Western Riverside Environmental Fund (WREF).

Residual Waste

Residual household waste is collected twice weekly from the kerbside using refuse sacks.

Commercial Waste and Recycling

The council operates commercial waste and recycling collections. Businesses are provided with sacks and bins for the outside storage of recyclable materials and cardboard office recycling boxes for inside. Joining the recycling scheme could save businesses an estimated £500 per year.

The following materials are collected:

• aerosols (empty)
• cardboard
• drinks cartons
• food and drink cans
• glass bottles and jars
• paper (all types)
• plastic bottles

Find out more about recycling in your area Visit Recycle for London
Compare Kensington and Chelsea's recycling services with the rest of London	View the London Matrix
Find out more about the  Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Contact Kensington and Chelsea Address: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea The Council Offices 37 Pembroke Road London W8 6PW  Tel: 020 7361 3001 (Streetline)   Email: waste.management@rbkc.gov.uk Recycling Team: Jay Aimes (Waste Reduction and Recycling Manager) Irene Overend (Waste and Recycling Publicity Officer) Bruno Stead (Recycling Officer)