The service information presented for the London Borough of Islington was last updated in July 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

44,000 kerbside properties are served by a weekly recycling collection. Residents put out materials for collect in a green box. This is collected co-mingled (mixed together) using a normal Refuse Collection Vehicle (RCV).  The materials are then taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where they are separated into different material types before being taken away to be recycled. The following materials are accepted:

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

Organic

Islington Council has extended its weekly green garden waste collection scheme. Formerly available to 9,000 households in a pilot scheme, the initiative is now open to all street side properties, 44,000 in total. All residents need to do to participate in the collection is place a reusable bag (provided by Islington Council) of green waste out on the same day as their green box, open so it is clearly identifiable as green waste. The green waste is collected using a normal split bodied vehicle.

A food waste collection scheme serves 44,000 properties in the borough. Participating residents have received 5 litre kitchen caddies, a kerbside container and odour strips, which are collected weekly from the kerbside on the same day as the green box and green waste collection. The scheme accepts both cooked and uncooked food.  Residents can place meat and fish scraps, fruit and vegetable peelings, eggs and egg shells, dairy products, cut flowers, and tea bags and coffee grounds in their bins.

Residents are asked to set out green garden waste and food waste in their separate containers although they are collected in the same split bodied vehicle.  This is for health and safety purposes.

Dry Recycling

Estates recycling sites have been introduced throughout Islington in consultation with tenants, residents and estates management associations. 427 estates now have mini recycling centres or hybrid sites. Both facilities accept:

• aerosols
• aluminium foil
• cardboar
• drinks cartons (5 sites only)
• glass bottles and jars
• mixed cans
• paper
• plastic bottles
• yellow pages

The hybrid sites also accept:

• shoes
• textiles

Islington is also running a weekly door-to-door recycling collection scheme to 23,000 households on estates. Residents put the following materials out for collection in reusable plastic sacks or boxes:

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

A kerbside collection of dry recyclables has recently been introduced to 2,500 flats located above commercial properties on Upper Street, Islington High Street,Holloway Road, Caledonian Road, Blackstock Road, Stroud Green Road, Seven Sisters Road, Essex Road, Newington Green Road, Hornsey Road and Junction Road. Residents receive clear plastic sacks for the collection of:

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

The sacks are left on the pavement between 8pm and 9pm at the same time as refuse for daily collections from 10pm.

For information on how to participate, click here!

Household Reuse and Recycling Centres

There is one Reuse and Recycling Centre in Islington:  

Household Reuse and Recycling Centre
Hornsey Street
London
N7 8HR

Click here for a list of materials accepted at the Reuse and Recycling Centre.

• aerosols
• aluminium foil
• cardboard
• drinks cartons (5 sites only)
• glass bottles and jars
• mixed cans
• paper
• plastic bottles
• shoes (hybrid sites only) 
• textiles (hybrid sites only)
• toner cartridges (hybrid sites only)

Home Composting

Residents wishing to start home composting can purchase a composter from Thames Water for £10: www.getcomposting.com/islington

Islington also offers subsidised wormeries from £15 - £30 and green cones from £30.

Islington is working in partnership with London Community Recycling Network to provide a helpline to any residents interested in learning more about home composting. Please call 0207 324 4690.

Nappy Waste

Islington runs a discounted nappy laundry / real nappy scheme. The council will provide a £54 discount upon registration with the nappy laundering service – Nappy Ever After. Islington also promotes the use of real nappies to residents.

Real Nappies for London is a new London-wide scheme to provide parents with an opportunity to try real nappies.  Islington 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

Islington promote the Mailing Preference Service to residents to reduce the amount of junk mail they receive.  No Junk Mail stickers are provided to residents.

For more information visit: www.mpsonline.org.uk or call 020 7527 5157.

Waste Exchange

Islington has an online swap shop to prevent useful resources going to landfill, visit: www.islington.gov.uk/swapxchange.

Islington also holds ‘swap’ and ‘give and take’ days.  Residents can bring reusable household items they no longer want and take items they do.

Bulky Waste

Islington provide residents with three free collections of up to five items of bulky waste per year.  Fridges and freezers are collected separately.

The charity Restore Community Project also accepts reusable furniture and white goods and distributes it to low income households. They also collect the furniture from the Reuse and Recycling Centre. Contact the Project on 020 8493 0900 to enquire about a free collection and for further information.

Public Place Recycling

Islington has introduced a number of small street litter recycling containers around the borough.

Schools Recycling

Islington has opened the state-of-the-art i-recycle centre based at their Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. The centre developed in partnership with the Science Museum, features interactive games and puzzles to teach local young people and adults about recycling and waste issues. 

The centre is made entirely of recycled or sustainable material. So chairs and tabletops are made from recycled industrial chopping boards, puzzle games are made of plastic bottles.  It is the first of its kind in the country.

Visits to the centre – by appointment only – are free for Islington schools and community groups.  Visitors can find out about the UK’s rubbish problem, discover how to make a real difference in reducing rubbish by recycling at home and be amazed by the interesting things that can be made from rubbish, including the i–recycle centre itself.

The Council has also produced Treasure Chests containing books, educational toys and related information on recycling and waste.

Islington offers a free recycling service to schools and educational institutions. All schools in the borough are now recycling their paper and there are plans to offer schools kitchen waste collections and the collections of other materials.

Residual Waste

Residual household waste is collected weekly from the kerbised, using refuse sacks.

Commercial Recycling

The council operates commercial waste collections with a business waste minimisation service which includes a free on site waste audit and an information pack.  The council is expanding its service area since the trial.  Currently approximately 85 businesses have the following materials colelcted three times a week for recycling:

• cardboard
• glass
• paper

The cost to businesses per bag of recycling is typically 50% cheaper that the equivalent bag of general waste.

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

Contact Islington Address: London Borough of Islington 222 Upper STreet Islington N1 1XR   Tel: 020 7527 2000   Email: contact@islington.gov.uk