Residents across Ealing are being urged to take small steps and make a big difference when it comes to tackling the climate crisis – and this week we are looking at how we can all recycle more, and a little better, and how that can have a huge impact on how we, as a borough, respond to this massive challenge.

Ealing Council’s new leadership has signalled a step change in the way we will tackle the growing crisis, by reaffirming its commitment to the borough’s climate action strategy – placing it as one of its top three priorities going forward.

How we deal with the borough’s waste is central to this. Ealing already has excellent recycling rates – around half of our household waste is recycled which is better than almost every other London borough – but this is not enough.

Only by significantly increasing the amount of household waste we recycle, as well as cutting what we send to landfill, can we reduce the level of harmful emissions needed to make a difference in this fight.

This is because we need to reach ‘net zero’ as a borough by the end of the decade – which means reducing the amount of harmful carbon dioxide emissions (‘greenhouse gases’) we produce as a borough to zero overall.

You can find out more about ‘net zero’, as well as some useful info about the climate crises and why it is so vital to take action now, by reading our recent explainer article.

What the council is doing

We are stepping up our action to ensure it is as easy and simple for kerbside residents to recycle their household waste via their blue bins and green caddies.

This summer, the council has been promoting the service to households in areas identified as in need of significant improvement. We have and are, delivering an indoor and outdoor caddy, a roll of liners and a leaflet to each property not currently participating in recycling their food waste. It is designed to make it as easy as possible for residents to get involved and to encourage more people than ever.

Households in areas where food recycling is low will receive an indoor caddy, outdoor caddy, roll of liners and leaflet, packed with information to help them get going.

The scheme started at the beginning of the summer and if you do not currently recycle your household waste, please check our website to see your options and, and whether you can get involved.

Find out more in the video below, where cabinet member for climate action, Councillor Deirdre Costigan visits Greenford reuse and recycle centre and talks about the initiative.

What you can do

• Get into the habit of the ‘3 R’s’ – reduce, reuse and recycle. Reduce the amount of waste you produce. Reuse and repurpose existing items you own. Recycle your garden waste, vegetable peelings, paper, glass bottles, plastic containers and textiles to ensure less waste is produced.
• Don’t let your food waste break down in your refuse bins. Separate out food waste into the right bin for a weekly food waste recycling collection where it can decompose and be used to generate energy or to make high quality compost.
• Sign up to the council’s garden waste service to remove clippings and cuttings from your garden in an environmentally friendly way.
• Donate unwanted clothing and small household items to charity shops and jumble sales.
• Buy loose fruit and vegetables to avoid single-use plastics.

‘Help us increase our recycling rates and work towards a greener borough into the future’

Councillor Deirdre Costigan, deputy leader and cabinet member for climate action said: “We are more committed than ever to tackling the climate crisis and ​we are ramping up our support for residents so they can do the right thing when it comes to recycling.

“By increasing recycling and reducing what put into our rubbish bins, we can help meet this challenge. That is why are urging everyone in the borough to ​do their bit to increase our recycling rates and work towards a greener borough into the future.

“Climate crisis is something none of us can ignore. By uniting as a borough we can begin to make positive steps needed to tackle this enormous challenge and continue to make Ealing a better place to live for our residents.”