Council Bosses Aim to Make the Notting Hill Carnival Sustainable

Council Bosses Aim to Make the
Notting Hill Carnival Sustainable

People who attended this year’s Notting Hill Carnival were encouraged to recycle their aluminium cans as part of a joint campaign run by recycling firm Suez, Kensington & Chelsea council and Alupro’s’ Every Can Counts’ programme. During and after the event, more than 300 tonnes of waste was cleared from the streets.

The recycling challenge

Security and access restrictions have posed a problem for recycling firms in previous years, but this year, there was a stand where people could recycle aluminium cans, plastic bottles, and food waste.

People were able to put their cans in a giant, three-dimensional, ‘I love Notting Hill Carnival’ sign which doubled as an ideal background for a selfie or two. Food stall owners were also given the chance to have a food waste bin on their pitch.

The big clean-up

Clean-up crews began clearing the waste from the streets after the revellers had dispersed and they worked into the small hours to get it all done. All in all, it took 200 members of SUEZ staff and 30 refuse trucks and mechanical sweepers two entire nights to clear the area.

A local councillor said that one of the biggest challenges is cleaning up after the event. He added that there has been an increase in recycling at this year’s event and that the council wants to build on this and create a sustainable carnival.

Suez’s recycling and recovery UK contract manager added that over the time they have been clearing up for the council, they’ve adapted their approach to make it more efficient. They praised their crews for their hard work in making sure the streets were clean for early morning commuters.

It’s all in the preparation

There are 14 teams managing the event clean-up. Each team has a supervisor who manages 2-3 collection crews and support units. Even though the event is not until August, the preparation starts in the spring. Monthly meetings are held to discuss and plan the routes, timings, the number of crews and support units that are needed, and the food and accommodation that the crews require.

The Suez manager added that waste collection at the carnival has to be very precise so everything runs like clockwork. The clean up can only really begin when the crowds have gone home and the police have given the go ahead for work to start. The fact that the roads have to be open by 7am the next day for businesses, residents and traffic just adds to the time pressure.