London prevents 475,000 tonnes of waste from going to landfil

London has stopped nearly 475,000 tonnes of waste from going to landfill by purchasing more recycled products. Results from the 2007 Mayor of Londons Green Procurement Code awards revealed that members signed up to the code spent £181 million on recycled products last year. Purchases include 1.3 million reams of recycled paper, 40,500 items of recycled furniture and 28,161 square metres of recycled carpet. Awards were presented to individual organisations signed up to the code which achieved outstanding performance. For example, awards were presented to the London borough of Hackney for the best performing public sector and Paper Round, a paper recycling company, for the best performing newcomer. Deputy Mayor of London Nicky Gavron said: The organisations we are rewarding are leading the way in taking practical steps to reduce their environmental impact through responsible purchasing. This year alone the total purchase of recycled products saved 216,000 tonnes of C02 an increase of 40,000 tonnes on the previous year. The combined purchasing power of London- based organisations has huge potential to tackle climate change and help to solve Londons waste problem and I would urge all businesses to support the Green Procurement Code. The Green Procurement Code is a free support service to reduce the environmental impact of London-based organisations through responsible purchasing. It is supported by £3 million from the London Development Agency and delivered by London Remade. It has over 500 members and 33 London boroughs have signed up to the code. Organisations signed up to the programme are also encouraging customers and suppliers to follow their lead in implementing green procurement and environmental policies to further reduce their impact, added London Remade programme manager Graham Randles. Image: Nicky Gavron, Deputy Mayor of London