Lib Dems accused the council of not having recycling as a ‘priority’ as rates dropped to a new twelve year low

A green wheelie bin and brown wheelie bin in Haringey

The Haringey Lib Dems have accused Haringey Council of being “asleep at the wheel” as recycling rates in the borough drop to a new twelve year low.

New data released by Defra shows that recycling rates in Haringey dropped by 2.8% since last year to reach 27.4% in 2022/23, with a peak in 2014/15.

The Lib Dem opposition further accused the council of failing to put forward plans to increase recycling after voting down proposals to remove charging for garden waste last year.

Scott Emery, opposition spokesperson for the environment, said: “The council has been asleep at the wheel for many years when it comes to our recycling rate, and the latest data shows that things are getting worse, not better. It is clearer than ever that increasing recycling isn’t a priority for the Labour Party either in Haringey or in London more widely, and that things won’t improve on their watch.”

Seema Chandwani, cabinet member for resident services and tackling inequality, responded: “Our dry recycling rate is already the second highest amongst the North London waste authority boroughs, and we have an all-time high subscription rate for garden waste.

“Through ‘Destination 50%’ we are working together with our residents to increase recycling levels to the 50% GLA target by 2030. Our recycling plan will see us reach new heights by investing in a raft of initiatives that residents told us they wanted as part of our extensive waste and recycling engagement exercise.

“These include the recent launch of a borough-wide textile collection service and a new kerbside small electrical collection service starting next week. We are meeting residents needs by for instance trialling pedal operated food waste bins on estates, which are easier and cleaner to use and introduced an online portal last year to help with the ordering of recycling bins.

“We provide comprehensive recycling collections for a wide range of household materials and will be launching a behaviour change campaign this year to encourage more people to take part.

“We will work tirelessly towards the 50% recycling target by engaging with residents to recycle more and produce less non-recyclable waste.”

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