Hazardous Waste in East London

East London has traditionally been known as the centre for manufacturing and trade in the city. Less wealthy than west central areas, people have historically come to this part of London to work in the docks and factories along the banks of the Thames. The work was often incredibly arduous and in dangerous conditions that wealthy neighbourhoods wanted kept away from the city centre. Bone processing, rope making, tanning and gunpowder making were among some of the early East London industries that would have resulted in fumes and air pollution in the area, and fish farms and slaughterhouses would have contributed to putrid odours that would have made much of east London unpleasant to live and work in. The Victorian era of industrialisation also affected the quality of living conditions for London’s East Enders, as many workers from outside the city were bought in resulting in overcrowding and crime as many working-class communities struggled to make ends meet. After the second world war, many of London’s East End industries died out making way for new housing developments, improved standards of living for working class communities, and more social mobility. Nowadays, East London’s Canary Wharf is the home for banking and finance in the city, generating and bringing in vast amounts of wealth to the area. Shoreditch, Dalston and Stratford have been regenerated in recent years and are now considered to be young, trendy, and affluent with many bars, clubs, and pedestrianised shopping areas characterised by quirky independent shops such as those found on Broadway Market. Although it is still the industrial heart of the city, East London has experienced a huge amount of development in recent years from housing to business investment and a growing number of digital technology start-ups. Suppliers and manufacturers now conduct much of their business online and have extended their reach beyond the city, increasing their revenue and economic value. East London based building contractors provide thousands of jobs in construction and related industries in and around the city, and waste disposal in London is another essential service that provides employment for hundreds of workers in the area.

• Population Size 2,161,200
• Active Businesses 8,599
• Waste Collected (tonnes)906,290
• Tonnes of Waste Recycled or Reused 449,792