• Kerbside Recycling
• Flat Recycling
• Bring Recycling
• Waste Minimisation
• Other Services
• Contact Information and Links

The service information presented for the London Borough of Camden was last updated in March 2009. 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

Camden provides 58,582 households with weekly kerbside collections of:

• aerosols
• aluminium foil
• cardboard
• glass bottles and jars
• mixed cans
• paper
• plastic bottles
• yellow pages

Residents are provided with a green box and/or bag in which to set out recycles on collection day. The materials are collected co-mingled (mixed together), by the Council’s contractor Veolia Environmental Services, in a single compartment compaction vehicle.

Organics

Camden collects bags of green garden waste directly from 94,131 properties in the borough free of charge. Residents must provide their own container for green waste and collections are available on request.

5,321 households in the north part of the borough (including parts of Hampstead, Belsize, Frognal, Fitzjohns and Gospel Oak) are served by the mixed garden and food waste collection. Residents are supplied with 23, 120 or 240 litres bins for green waste and a kitchen caddy on the ‘opt-in’ basis. Meat is included in the service.     

Over 40,870 high-rise households are provided with an estates recycling scheme. Bring banks are provided at 447 sites located centrally or near to each blocks’ entrances. Recyclables are collected in separate 1280 litre Euro or 360 litre wheelie bins.  The following materials can be recycled at estate bring sites:

• aerosols
• cardboard
• glass bottles and jars
• mixed cans
• paper
• plastic bottles (not all sites)
• yellow pages

Weekly door to door collection of co-mingled dry recyclables is no longer available. Currently there is no separate food collection from flats available in the London Borough of Camden.

Household Reuse and Recycling Centre  

There is one Reuse and Recycling Centre in Camden:  

Regis Road Recycling Centre
Regis Road
Kentish Town
London
NW5 3EW

Click here for a list of materials accepted at the RRC.

Bring Banks

Camden has had a network of mini-recycling bring sites since 1993. There are currently present at 165 public sites. Residents can recycle:

• aerosols
• books (at some sites)
• cardboard
• drinks cartons (at some sites)
• glass bottles and jars
• mixed cans 
• paper   
• plastic bottles 
• shoes and textiles (at some sites)
• toner cartridges (at some sites)

Home Composting

Camden supplies compost bins to households on request, at a subsidised price. Composters cost £8 (220L compost converter), £10 (330 litre compost converter), £40 (KOMP 250L) and £4 (kitchen caddy). A total of 3420 bins have been distributed since the scheme began in 2000.

Nappy Waste

Camden is supporting a multi-agency partnership project promoting real nappies in the borough, by providing a £54 cash back incentive for parents signing up to a registered laundry service (provided with the North London Waste Authority). The easy to use nappies are made from soft cotton, fasten with Velcro or press studs and can be machine washed at 60°C with no need for pre-soaking. The laundry services will collect dirty nappies weekly and drop off clean ones - a luxury service for about £8 -£10 a week. By using real nappies parents can cut their waste by 50% and save up to £500 for their first child (and even more for their second) if washing at home. Camden residents can now visit the Nappy Ever After shop at 96 Charlton Street for general information about real nappies, the subsidy, a 'nappy library' lending scheme and to access expert advice and support from Nappy Ever After staff and the 'Real Nappy, Real Happy' project officer. Regular events are organized to inform parents about the benefits of using Real Nappies. These include Antenatal Nappy Talks organized each week, Nappy Chatters on every second Tuesday and Nappucino events every six weeks.

Junk Mail

The Council supports the Mailing Preference Service, a service that householders can register with to reduce the amount of junk mail they receive. For more information or to register with the Mailing Preference Service please call 0845 070 0707 or visit www.mpsonline.org.uk.

Camden council offers a free ‘Say No To Junk Mail’ action pack which includes a ‘no junk mail’ sticker for residents doors.  For more information visit Camden's junk mail page.

Camden ran its first Bring and Take day in January 2006. Since than event has been organised regularly, to give residents the chance to bring unwanted items, which might otherwise have been thrown away, to be taken away and used by others. The day also provides information on recycling, reusing and waste reduction, with practical advice about composting and real nappies on offer.

Waste Aware Shopping

Free cotton shopping bags are available to residents at a variety of community events throughout the year. 

Bulky Waste

Camden council provides a bulky waste collection to resident for a charge of £20.

Residents can call Restore Community Recycling directly on 020 8493 0900 or visit www.restorecommunityprojects.org to arrange a collection.

Litter

Camden operates a network of commuter bins, collecting papers, plastic bottles and cans, at key transport locations across the borough.

Camden also operates leafing crews throughout the borough from September onwards. These leaves are collected in biodegrable bags and sent for composting.

Schools Recycling

Camden has recently launched a schools recycling pack entitled 'Waste Education in Action - a resource for Camden teachers'.  The pack is full of activities for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. The Councils Education Officer also offers school visits.

Regis Road Recycle and Reuse Centre boats a sate of the art education centre which can hold up to 30 students.  For further information please contact the centre here

Wheelie bins for paper and card, cans and plastic recycling can be supplied to all schools in Camden free of charge. Free collection of the materials is offered on the weekly basis. In order to make collection of these items easier inside the schools’ buildings, free green boxes are offered for the classrooms. Council also offers help for schools willing to apply for London Schools Environment Award (LSEA)

Residual Waste

Residual household waste is collected from the kerbside twice weekly.  Residents must provide thier own refuse sacks.

Commercial Waste Recycling

Camden council provides a commercial recycling service, collections are available on request through their website.  The Regis Road Recycle and Reuse Centre does not accept any form of trade waste.  Materials collected by the commercial waste service are:

• cardboard
• glass
• mixed cans
• paper

Find out more about recycling in your area Visit Recycle for London
Compare Camden's recycling services with the rest of London	View the Borough Service Summary Table
Find out more about the London Borough of Camden

Contact Camden Address: Street Environment Services 2nd Floor Cockpit Yard London WC1N 2NP   Tel: 020 7974 6914   Email: recycling@camden.gov.uk

Click here to view the summary report on the state of the environment in the London Borough of Camden prepared by the Environment Agency.