Bywaters Raises Mayor of London’s Recycling Rate to 85%

Recycling rates at the Mayor’s Office at City Hall have shot up to an impressive 85% thanks to an innovative partnership between Tube Lines and Bywaters.

Impressive Results from Partnership Between Bywaters and Tubelines

Tube Lines Ltd is responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines and has been working with Bywaters since 2013. The contract has grown and now includes more than 150 sites in the capital including Transport for London’s offices, City Hall, and Victoria Coach Station.

In this time, City Hall’s recycling rate has rocketed from 62% in April 2015 to 85%. Changes spearheaded by Bywaters include the introduction of recycling bins for materials such as food waste and glass and a tailored engagement programme to encourage recycling.

Recycling Increases Across the Board

Across the entire contract, the recycling rate is now an impressive 57% — a considerable achievement considering the diverse nature of the 4,200 tonnes of waste that arises each year. Central to Bywaters’ success has been thinking outside of the box and our Sustainability team finding outlets for unusual waste streams, such as hand wash dispensers and escalator hand rails.

Ben Beagley, client relationship manager at Bywaters, said:

“One of the key things we have done is find solutions for hard-to-recycle items. Tube Lines asked us to look at escalator handrails – which are made from a mixture of rubber, plastic and metal. We found a recycling option for all of the different components.”

Since working with Bywaters, Tube Lines is now diverting 100% of waste from landfill, with residual waste sent for recovery at energy from waste facilities. The company has also reduced carbon emissions, with the majority of waste transported via the River Thames and recycling sent to Bywaters energy-efficient MRF in Bow.