Hazardous Waste in Harrow

Residents in Harrow can access the council run recycling centre from 8.30am to 4.30 pm 7 days a well including bank holidays, although you must book at least a day ahead as using the tip is by appointment only. There are also a number of private waste management options to choose from such as commercial services for bulky waste collection, trade waste removal services, and general junk removal services available in the area. There are also 9 independent skip hire companies in the immediate area around Harrow on the Hill for commercial and domestic use.

The main recycling centre for residents in Harrow is just 0.5 miles away from Harrow and Wealdstone station in HA3. Residents wishing to use the civic amenity site in Harrow will need to call ahead to book an appointment and provide a photo ID and separate proof of address, such as a utility bill to gain entry to the tip. The civic amenity site in Harrow accepts some materials that can be difficult to recycle such as car batteries, used engine oil carpet and mattresses. They can also provide special access for residents who need to clear out the home of a friend or relative, and more details are provided on the council website. Trade waste is also accepted at Harrow recycling centre and vehicles are required to stop on the weighbridge.

Harrow council offers a garden waste removal service which is available annually and during the summer season. The yearly subscription costs £75 a year and can be arranged on the council website during the sign-up period, which residents are advised to set a reminder for if they wish to successfully register for this service. Those in receipt of council tax support are entitled to a discount, and there is a 14 day cancellation period after which time the payment is non refundable.The other collection service offered by Harrow council is a competitively priced service for bulky waste and furniture removal, which collects a wide variety of items that can often be difficult to dispose of, such as fence mattresses, sofas, fence panels and sheds. It is worth noting that 3 blag bin bags of rubbish in black refuse sacks also counts as one bulky waste item, which is useful for households that frequently produce more refuse than is covered by the standard provision for rubbish disposal. Harrow council also provides options for house and shed clearance, collection of up to 5 items from inside the property for £83.00, and a premium collection service that costs an extra £24 for next day and weekend collection

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Under the existing waste management system, municipal solid waste accounts for 657,000 tonnes of total waste accumulated, of which 45% is currently recycled, composted, or used for energy. The other waste streams dealt with by the council are commercial and industrial waste, construction demolition and excavation waste, hazardous waste, wastewater and sewage sludge, agricultural waste, and radioactive waste.

Under the revised framework set out in the West London Waste Plan, legislation on waste management requires that the prevention and reduction of waste should be a primary consideration for local authority areas. The second top priority is that value from waste should be recovered in the form of recycling reuse reclamation or the production of secondary raw materials. Items for reuse and reclamation could be anything from furniture to small electrical items, and a number of council run campaigns and initiatives have been set up in London to encourage useable second hand and refurbished items back into the community in what is known as the ‘circular economy’ based on the principles of make, use, repair, reuse and recycle- which keeps items out of landfill for longer.

Recyclable waste refers to any rubbish that can be processed and reused in the manufacture of new items of the same material. For example plastic can be manufactured into a new plastic product, and paper can be remanufactured into various paper products. Other materials that are suitable for this process are tin glass and aluminium, all of which can be remade into a huge variety of products, including those that the material was originally used for. Of the municipal waste materials transported to depots, it is non-recyclable waste that gets recovered as a secondary material. These residual and non recyclable materials are made into gas for electricity, mulch for fertiliser and fuel, and ash used as a building aggregate after the incineration process.

Other Greater London waste partnerships between borough councils have proved that it is possible to recycle and recover 100% of municipal waste, meaning that there is zero use of landfill sites. Some landfill sites in London have even been restored to natural wetland and grassland habitats, setting a president for what is possible if the technology and the infrastructure is in place to deal with multiple types of waste in the environment.

Harrow Council's Waste Management Performance:

· Overall annual spend on waste management £12,980,000
· Per person spend £16
· Landfill rate 57.44%
· Reuse and recycling rate 42.56%

Harrow council is part of a network of 6 west London borough councils that are working together and individually plan strategies and take action on environmental issues affecting London and it’s residents in which waste plays a key part in shaping the immediate and long term future. The joint west London waste plan between the boroughs of Hillingdon Hounslow Richmond upon Thames Brent Ealing and Harrow has been set up to better handle waste and recycling materials after they are collected to improve outcomes for recycling and energy recovery.

The WLWP also aims to bring together a waste and recycling strategy between these boroughs to develop sustainable environmental practices to manage different waste streams while improving quality of life for residents and improving environmental infrastructure throughout west London. The plan predicts how much waste capacity will be needed over the coming years and what kind of facilities need to be invested in to handle waste throughout the boroughs, and is available to read on the west London waste plan website or respective borough council web pages.