Barnet Friends of the Earth on local approaches to tackling the Climate Emergency

A blue recycling bin next to a dark grey refuse waste bin in the London Borough of Barnet — Barnet bins

Across North London people buy things that they put in their waste bins that could still be eaten, mended, repurposed or reused. And then we buy more stuff to replace what we have thrown away.

Sometimes items that can be recycled gets put into the general waste bin, and putting general waste in the recycling bins can lead to contamination of recyclable items that end up being incinerated.

While it is important to increase recycling rates and reduce contamination, the waste hierarchy puts waste reduction first and reuse second (reduce, reuse, recycle).

And that is what the new North London Joint Waste Strategy 2025-2040 does with, what the NLWA CEO says is “an ambitious vision”: ‘Towards a low waste north London, reducing the impact of waste to meet the challenges of the Climate Emergency’.

The strategy also makes a commitment to “engage residents on an ongoing basis to seek feedback from the community and codesign new initiatives with them”.

Barnet Council, along with the other boroughs, is responsible for setting out detailed plans for delivering the vision and strategy. And the good news is that there are lots of people in Barnet and beyond already doing things in line with the vision.

There is a growing grassroots movement that helps people save money by encouraging people to buy less stuff and make the most of what they do buy. Toy libraries, refill shops, repair cafes, community engagement and education events and buying co-operatives are some examples of things provided by volunteers and community organisations across North London.

On behalf of many of the people in Barnet who are part of the above movement, Barnet Friends of the Earth asks our council officers and councillors to develop ambitious plans that deliver the vision and actively engage and codesign with us the growth of existing and new initiatives.

We ask residents across Barnet to save money and help save the planet by buying less stuff, making the most of what you do buy and reducing the amount you throw away.

Look out for what is already going on in your community and see how you can get involved.

Barnet Friends of the Earth

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