Reuse and Recycling Centre pre-booking system ends

North London residents will soon have more flexibility to recycle at their local Reuse and Recycling Centres (RRCs), after the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) decided pre-booking for cars is no longer required.

The NLWA Board accepted a recommendation to withdraw the digital pre-booking system for cars at its authority meeting on Monday 31 October 2022. This will allow residents greater freedom to ‘drop in’ to RRCs and dispose of their items sustainably.

A recent review found that residents surveyed* perceived pre-booking as a barrier to using the centres and were more likely to utilize the facilities if they didn’t have to book in advance.

The booking system was originally introduced as a temporary change in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. It was part of a package of measures to help residents and staff maintain social distancing.

This change will apply to all seven of the eight north London RRCs, with Barrowell Green in Enfield retaining the need for cars to book at this time. Vans will continue to book via the system as normal at all sites.

Chair of the North London Waste Authority, Councillor Clyde Loakes said: “NLWA is committed to providing residents with the opportunities and facilities they need to dispose of their waste in a responsible and convenient manner. Allowing people to turn up on the day without a booking will make it easier for them to access the service, and as a result, hopefully increase attendance at the centres.

“We have conducted a thorough review and really listened to what the people of north London want. We hope adopting a more flexible approach to centre admission will prompt an increase in items recycled and galvanise a further shift to a more circular economy.”

It was observed that the booking system being in place allowed RRC staff to give more advice to residents using the facility. The service will be working to ensure that once the system is set down, the centres will focus closely on customer needs.

The move forms part of NLWA’s commitment to increasing its services to residents. This means offering them convenient opportunities to dispose of their materials that can then be handled in the most sustainable way. This includes further reuse initiatives at RRCs, such as the Reuse Shop at Kings Road, trialling DIY reuse collections and offering additional facilities to recycle polystyrene.

North London residents can visit any of the eight Reuse and Recycling Centre sites. These facilities are provided to complement resident’s separate kerbside household waste and recycling collection. The RRCs take a variety of items that cannot be disposed of by that collection. To check which materials can be taken, visit the individual site pages, or use the A-Z search.

The booking system will be officially withdrawn from Monday 7 November 2022, allowing residents to access sites at any time during opening hours, subject to waiting times.