The service information presented for the London Borough of Wandsworth was last updated in November 2007. 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

Wandsworth Council provides all eligible 84,000 households with a kerbside collection. Residents put the following materials together in an orange sack, which is collected weekly on the same day as rubbish:

• aerosols (empty)
• cardboard
• drinks cartons
• glass bottles and jars
• mixed cans
• plastic bottles
• paper

The orange sacks are taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where they are split open and the different materials are mechanically sorted. To download an information sheet with pictures about how the MRF works please click here.

Green Garden Waste

Residents can have green garden waste collected and taken for composting by contacting the council to order biodegradable sack and book a collection. There is a charge of £16 for 20 sacks and one collection.

Dry Recycling

36,000 estate premises have recycling facilities. The following materials are collected in co-mingled Eurobins to make recycling as easy as possible for estate residents and ensure services mirror those provided to kerbside premises:

• aerosols (empty)
• aluminium and steel cans
• cardboard
• drinks cartons
• glass bottles and jars
• plastic bottles
• paper

Flats Above Shops

Wandsworth has 4,680 flats above shops in the five town centres.  The council offers these premises a permanent kerbside collection of black refuse sacks and orange co-mingled recycling sacks.  Wandsworth also offers a compostable garden waste collection in bio-degradable sacks as well as a bulky waste collection service at a charge.  Orange sacks are delivered to flats quarterly.  Recycling should be set out by 6:30am on the weekly collection day while refuse collection starts nightly at 10pm for flats above shops in town centres and on main roads.  Refuse sacks can be put out before collection from 8pm.

Household Reuse and Recycling Centre

Bring Sites 

Wandsworth has 27 public bring sites in areas such as supermarket car parks for the collection of the following materials:

• aluminium and steel cans
• glass bottles and jars
• paper
• plastic bottles
• textiles

Not all materials are collected at all sites.

Toner cartridges can now be recycled at Wandsworth’s purple banks, located at the main recycling sites. Cartridge recycling will help raise funds for Tommy’s, the baby charity.  Household batteries are accepted at 21 bring sites across the borough including all libraries. 

Home Composting

Wandsworth currently offers subsidised home composters to residents at a cost of £10 including delivery.  To date, 8,800 subsidised composters have been provided to residents during past offers.

Scrap Store Project

Wandsworth Work and Play collect and redistribute clean reusable ‘waste’ materials for use as educational and play resources.  For more information telephone 020 8682 4216 or visit: http://www.connectedup.com/scrapstore/index.htm.

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.  Residents can obtain a 'no junk mail' sticker from the council.  For more information visit: www.westernriverside.org/junkmail.php.

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 just six weeks!

Bulky Waste

Residents can take white goods to Smugglers Way or Cringle Dock Reuse and Recycling Centres. Alternatively Wandsworth Council will collect fridges and freezers from all domestic premises. Residents should contact the Council on 020 8871 8558 or email recycling@wandsworth.gov.uk to arrange a collection. There is a charge for collection of bulky items.

Litter

15 commuter recycling bins are located outside stations across the borough.

Schools

Schools can now have a free co-mingled recycling bank and reusable bags are also being provided for collection of recyclables in classrooms.

Western Riverside Waste Authority, in partnership with Waste Watch launched a five year waste awareness campaign in January 2003. Recycle Western Riverside is a local campaign including advertising and PR events, a schools programme and work with local councils and community groups to help increase recycling and improve services. For more information please visit www.westernriverside.org.uk

Schools can also visit the education centre at Western Riverside Waste Authorities 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 waste is collected weekly from the kerbside.

Commercial Waste and Recycling

Wandsworth council offers a commercial waste and recycling collection on request.

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

Contact Wandsworth Address: The Town Hall Wandsworth High Street London SW18 2PU     Tel: 020 8871 8558 Email: recycling@wandsworth.gov.uk