When I first moved to London I noted a stark contrast between
the fresh countryside air I had been used to since my childhood, and the air in
London – now one of the most polluted in Europe. In the first months of my
residency in the city, I frequently pondered on questions of
sustainability, well-being, health and the environment. After a certain time however, it is easy to become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life. The pollution that once shook you is quickly rendered part of normality. I
am a bit shameful to admit that this happened to me. Heaps of rubbish on the
street, the noise of never-ending traffic and the exhaust-filled air became
daily occurrences, no longer seeming that noticeable. 
It wasn’t until a
good friend asked me about my recycling practices, that I again remembered the significant
sustainability issues to be addressed in London. An effective recycling system holds numerous benefits for people
and the environment, ranging from global warming mitigation to
cost-effectiveness. (Please see here for the London City Waste Clearance website,
outlining some of the key benefits of recycling)
My friend’s enquiry into my recycling practices made me again
remember that my rented apartment in London did not have any recycling bins.
When I first moved in, I was immensely surprised by this. Assuming
that there wasn’t much I could do to address this, I gradually forgot about it.
However, my friend’s surprised reaction to the lack of recycling at the flat made
me realise that I had to take some action. I wrote to the building managers of
my apartment, who unfortunately took several months to get back to me.
Whilst I was waiting for the building manager’s reply, I was
looking at alternative ways to recycle outside of the home and came across the
following website: https://www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling The ‘Local Recycling’ website allows you to enter your postcode and displays your closest recycling
stations. It turned out that my closest recycling station was only a ten-minute
walk from my apartment. Who would have known? A bit of online research made me
realise that there are actually plenty of opportunities to recycle in London. For
months I took cardboard, plastic and other recyclable
materials to the recycling station in the picture below.
 |
| Recycling station near my flat. If you don’t have access to recycling at your home, make sure to find your nearest recycling station. |
It felt good to know that I was making a contribution towards
an effective recycling system in the city – a system that relies on
participation of as many people as possible. After a few months, I heard from
my building managers that they had organised two recycling bins for the block
of flats my apartment is located in. I hope that my experiences will motivate
others to contribute to recycling in the city and seriously think of how we can
address sustainability challenges. In the end, we all have so much to gain from
an effective recycling system.
~ Written by Sasha ~
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