Polystyrene recycling in North London saw a remarkable 56% increase during 2024–25, rising from 6.87 tonnes to 10.74 tonnes—a shift driven by enhanced infrastructure and public engagement at NLWA’s reuse and recycling centres (RRCs) (nlwa.gov.uk).
Over the same period, residents delivered 7,000 more tonnes of reusable and recyclable material—a volume equivalent to nearly 438 double-decker buses—to RRCs, and 74% of the 48,874 tonnes collected was diverted to reuse, recycling, or composting (nlwa.gov.uk).
Key infrastructure improvements in 2024–25 include the opening of a Resource Recovery Facility (March 2024), a refreshed reuse and recycling centre at Edmonton EcoPark, and EcoPark House, a public outreach hub (opened December 2024). NLWA also launched school programmes reaching over 2,600 students and professionals, reinforcing behavioural change support (nlwa.gov.uk).
By integrating polystyrene recycling into its RRC expansion and embedding educational activity, NLWA has shifted EPS from residual waste to a visible, valued part of municipal resource systems. The 56% increase in recovered polystyrene is concrete evidence that system design + access + engagement = performance.
