To promote the initiative, LCRN were joined by the Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, James Cleverly, LWaRB Chair, and Joanna Lumbley OBE in front of City Hall on 12 July. See video.
London’s reuse infrastructure is set to benefit from an £8 million investment initiative, the London Reuse Network (LRN), which will see over 30 of the capital’s reuse charities linked.
London Community Resource Network (LCRN) will receive the investment, which has been delivered by the London Waste and Recycling Board. The funding will be used to deliver an integrated pan-London reuse and repairs service – the largest of its kind in the world – and will create hundreds of jobs and training opportunities. It is hoped that by 2015, the network will be diverting over a million items from the waste stream.
The plan’s announcement was unveiled outside City Hall by Mayor Boris Johnson and Joanna Lumley, who are both advocates and proponents of reuse.
LCRN’s Chief Executive, Matthew Thomson, said: “We are ecstatic that we have been given the chance to enhance and develop community-based reuse in London. Thousands of Londoners are living in material poverty – LRN is going to make sure that those who are currently doing without are going to have a new lease on life. This is a definite win-win situation for London.”
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.