The Liberal Democrat London Assembly environment spokesman has slammed litter reduction efforts on the London underground, claiming they are blocking higher recycling rates.
Assembly Member Mike Tuffrey criticised recent proposals to increase the number of litter bins on stations by 25%. He said: “The lack of bins at so many of our stations has led to the commuters and visitors having to endure the frequent sight of stations covered in litter. This simplistic policy has also blocked many attempts to encourage greater recycling.”
I find it hard to believe that it is not possible to combine keeping Londoners safe with allowing people to dispose of litter in a responsible way.”
However Transport For London have refuted the claims. A spokesman said: “London Underground has been working hard to boost recycling on the tube network. We have established a system where all the rubbish placed in any of the stations’ bins gets sorted and that anything that can be is recycled. In 2003/4 London Underground recycled approximately 12% of rubbish that was left on the tube, today that figure is 70%.”
“We are also in the process of getting an additional 171 bins installed, there are currently 634, which will mean an increase of more than 25 percent. There is still work to do, making sure that the additional bins do not contravene the strict fire regulations which we adhere to, but the installation of these additional bins should be completed by spring.”
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