The boroughs composting less than 1 per cent of household rubbish

THOUSANDS of tonnes of rubbish that could be used to make compost are being sent to landfill every week in London.

New government figures show exactly how much waste each borough sends for composting - and there are major discrepancies.

Harrow comes top, sending almost 19per cent of its household waste for composting. Next on the list were Bexley (17.62 per cent), Hillingdon (12.58 per cent), Barnet (12.42 per cent), and Richmond upon Thames (11.54 per cent).

However, six local authorities manage less than one per cent - Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Lewisham, City of London, Wandsworth, and Tower Hamlets.

Today politicians called for councils to take action on the problem.

"All the evidence shows that Londoners want to recycle more, but they are being let down by local authorities who are failing to run doorstep collection services for kitchen and garden waste," said Darren Johnson, Green member of the Assembly. "These figures show just how woefully inadequate the composting rates are across most of London.

"Not only can kitchen food scraps and garden waste be used for making compost, but, if anaerobically digested, they can produce 'biogas' which can then be used for cooking gas or for generating mechanical or electrical power."

Anaerobic digestion involves microbes being added to the waste to break it down and produce gas.

Mr Johnson said: "Boroughs must provide comprehensive garden and kitchen waste collection services. This also needs to be supported by adequate composting and anaerobic digestion facilities. In the absence of either one, or both, these compostable wastes will continue to be sent to landfill - incurring landfill taxes which are likely to be passed on to council-tax payers - or will be sent for incineration, thus adding to greenhouse gases and pollution."

London has six composting facilities, with planning permission for one anaerobic digestor.

According to the Mayor's London Plan, 57 composting facilities and 25 anaerobic digestors will be required to manage the capital's waste by 2020. London Councils claimed a lack of garden space meant many boroughs simply had less waste that they could compost.

"Boroughs do take this very seriously, but for inner London boroughs in particular, there are some major issues surrounding collection from high-rise flats," said Stewart Henderson of London Councils.

The figures, from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, covered the financial year 2007/08.

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