Report says capital needs to increase

4:10pm Thursday 4th September 2008

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LONDON leads the country in some environmental initiatives but more work needs to be done to boost recycling in the capital, a study says.

The report, called London's Environmental Effectiveness - an Update, was written by GLA Economics, an advisory body in the Greater London Authority.

Among its findings were London's businesses are some of the most energy efficient in the country and the city had the lowest carbon emissions per head.

But it also showed, based on 2005/6 figures, London produced 4.2 million tonnes of rubbish over that period with only 687,000 tonnes being recycled.

The national average was 755,000 tonnes and London was shown to have the lowest recycling rate out of all the UK's regions.

Leader of the London Assembly's Liberal Democrat group Mike Tuffrey said: "One of Mayor Boris Johnson's manifesto pledges was to encourage recycling throughout London, but frankly the time for fine rhetoric is over. We need to see some meat on the bones."

Mr Johnson said: "Boosting London's recycling rate and sending less waste to landfill is a top priority for my administration."