Lotter London: Recycling and Sustainability Commitment
At Lotter London we put circularity at the heart of every collection. Our Recycling and Sustainability statement is simple: reduce, reuse and recycle as many materials as possible while reducing carbon from collection and transfer. We have set a clear recycling percentage target to drive our operations — 70% of all collected materials to be diverted from landfill by 2030 — and we publish regular progress updates as we roll out improvements across boroughs. Our approach to sustainability extends from kerbside collections to processing at local facilities, combining operational efficiency with environmental responsibility.
Our teams understand how varied waste systems are across London. Many boroughs operate separate food waste collections alongside dry mixed recycling and general rubbish; some areas encourage separate glass and paper streams while others combine glass into a single recycling bin. By aligning Lotter London services with local council rules we support household separation schemes and increase capture rates. We work closely with local waste operators, adapting our collections to support borough-led initiatives and to complement existing municipal programmes.
Working locally matters. We make use of nearby transfer stations and consolidation yards so that material spends less time in transit and more time being processed. Lotter London operates scheduled runs to local transfer stations in and around boroughs such as Camden, Hackney, Lambeth and Southwark, ensuring quick handover to authorised processors. This network of local transfer stations reduces journey lengths and vehicle emissions while speeding up the path from collection to recycling plant.
We believe in partnerships that create tangible social and environmental outcomes. Lotter London partners with a range of charities and reuse organisations to maximise value from items that might otherwise be discarded. Through collaborations with food redistribution groups, furniture reuse charities and community re-use projects, we ensure that reusable goods are given a second life before any material is considered for recycling. Charity partnerships not only reduce waste but also provide essential support to local people in need.
In practical terms, our partnership model includes donation logistics for surplus household items, scheduled deliveries to community re-use centres and support for social enterprises that refurbish textiles and furniture. We also work with food redistribution networks to divert edible surplus into local distribution channels rather than sending it to processing. These programmes form a core part of Lotter London sustainability initiatives and help to feed into a broader circular economy within the capital.
Low-carbon fleet and operational innovation
To meet our environmental ambitions we have invested in a low-carbon van fleet and adopted smarter routing technology. Our vehicles include a mix of electric vans, plug-in hybrids and modern Euro 6 engines for heavier runs, all chosen to reduce tailpipe emissions. We are targeting an 80% transition of the light commercial fleet to low-emission vehicles by 2028, which will substantially cut operational CO2 and NOx emissions across inner and outer London routes.
What we recycle and how we improve capture
Lotter London processes a wide range of materials and continuously expands accepted streams to reflect local recycling opportunities. Typical streams we handle include paper and cardboard, mixed plastics, metal cans, glass, textiles and certain types of bulky waste that can be refurbished or broken down for material recovery. We aim to reduce contamination through driver training, customer education campaigns and by coordinating with borough collections to ensure residents receive clear advice about separation and presentation.
To further improve recycling rates we run targeted initiatives such as dedicated textile collections in areas with high reuse potential, mattress reuse pathways and community bulky-item collection days aligned with charity pick-ups. Our teams also host drop-off events at local transfer stations so that items like electronics, batteries and small WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) can be segregated for proper processing rather than entering mixed residual streams. The result is higher quality recycling and less material sent to energy recovery or landfill.
Lotter London operates several programmes to measure impact and encourage continuous improvement. Highlights include:
- Collection audits to identify contamination and opportunities to increase dry recycling capture;
- Charity redirection for reusable items that benefit local communities;
- Fleet decarbonisation milestones aligned to our 2030 recycling percentage target and interim checks.
Lotter London's recycling focus is rooted in practical, local action: using transfer stations close to collection areas, supporting borough separation schemes, working hand-in-hand with charities and investing in low-carbon vans and smarter logistics. By combining a measurable recycling percentage target with on-the-ground partnerships and vehicle electrification, we are building a resilient, local approach to waste management that delivers environmental benefits and social value across London.