Press release from the London Mayor's Office
The
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a further £6 million
injection of further funding for protecting the environment and
improving green space in the capital.
The fund will deliver the roll-out of more new public water fountains - on top of the initial 20 the Mayor announced recently.
It will also create better local green spaces including in areas with little access to parks and community spaces.
Sadiq wants Londoners to help protect the environment by introducing
changes that will have a big impact on reducing the amount of single-use
plastic bottles and cups bought daily across the capital.
With many Londoners enjoying refreshments on the go from retail
outlets and cafes, the amount of single-use plastic waste is huge.
The Mayor is working with Thames Water and City to Sea to introduce a
Refill scheme so that Londoners can reuse their bottles and cups to top
up free tap water from local shops and businesses.
He has also
announced plans for the installation of 20 new public water fountains in
busy areas.
Sadiq has already allocated £750,000 in his draft budget over the
next three years to cut plastic waste, including helping launch a pilot
Refill scheme with retailers in five districts and installing 20 new
fountains. He is working with the #OneLess campaign, led by the
Zoological Society of London to find suitable fountain sites and the
first ones will be installed this summer. He has today announced
increased funding.
The Mayor has committed to working with manufacturers and supply
chains to trial coffee cup collection schemes where businesses and
retailers provide easily accessible recycling facilities for the
separate collection of coffee cups.
He is also considering the potential for a plastic bottle deposit
return scheme that gives Londoners money back for recycling bottles. ‘
Bottle banks’ or ‘reverse vending’ schemes where consumers get a voucher
when they return bottles, could be placed across London. Other
countries who have adopted similar schemes have seen plastic bottle
recycling increase up to 90 per cent. This work is part of the Mayor’s
ambition for London to send no biodegradable or recyclable waste to
landfill by 2026.
The funding will also help support the Mayor’s ambition to make
London the world’s first National Park City by engaging Londoners to
help create and improve green spaces and plant more trees, helping make
London a healthier and greener city.
It will also help pay for local measures to tackle toxic air
pollution including schemes in and around schools and in partnership
with local businesses, and installing green infrastructure that benefits
air quality and reduces exposure.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
I’m committed to helping
Londoners reduce plastic bottle use and help cut the amount of plastic
ending up in our oceans and in landfill.
This increased funding is matched by ambitious plans which aim to help
the public easily cut their use of plastic by offering water refills,
delivering more public drinking fountains and simple recycling schemes
that will help cut the purchase of single-use plastic bottles.
This extra funding will also help us race towards my goal of London
becoming the first National Park City, by funding more tree planting and
green spaces, especially in areas so that everyone in London can
benefit from an easily accessible park, play space, or community
garden.
Greenpeace campaigner Elena Polisano said:
Public water fountains,
and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, are both key
practical steps to reduce the flood of plastic waste endangering our
oceans. Water fountains help us to reduce plastic waste by making
reusable containers more convenient, and a DRS will help us to recycle
the plastic waste we do produce. Beyond that, they are useful ways of
reminding consumers and more importantly businesses that there is no
‘away’ where things can be casually thrown without consequences.
Fiona Llewellyn, #OneLess project manager, Zoological Society of
London:
This new investment by the Mayor will help transform London
from a throw-away plastic city into a city that refills; good news for
Londoners and for the ocean. #OneLess is excited to be part of the
Mayor’s drive to make London an ocean-loving city and the first capital
that’s free from single-use plastic water bottles.
The Mayor's draft London Plan highlights the importance of protecting
London’s green spaces and creating new, accessible open space,
particularly in areas with little access to parks. The new funding will
deliver more Greener City Fund grants to local projects, helping improve
parks, design new green spaces, green school playgrounds, plant trees
and restore waterways.
Graham Duxbury, national CEO of Groundwork said:
We know the
valuable role that greenspaces play in ensuring a better quality of life
for local communities in order for people to live happier and healthier
lives. We have seen first-hand that local people are committed to
improving their surroundings and local provisions and it’s important
that they have the right support and tools in order to be successful. We
are delighted that more resources are going to be provided to help
communities get involved in making positive changes to their local
greenspaces as well as tackling the important task of reducing our
plastic consumption. We look forward to seeing the positive results.
The Mayor recently awarded £1.1m from the first round of his Greener
City Fund Community Green Space grants to 55 local groups, with 60 per
cent of projects in areas with poor access to green space, and 14 are
based in schools, including a new community garden next to the temporary
site of a school relocated following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower.
