London Councils help Londoners go green 

Green schemes helping Londoners become more environmentally friendly have been backed with more than £2 million in grants from London Councils today (Wednesday).

Among the initiatives that will receive funding are ones encouraging the use of more sustainable products by developers, refurbishing unwanted computers for community groups to use, providing local businesses with recycled paper and other green products, and helping disadvantaged Londoners to save money by helping them find cheap ways of making their homes greener.

The London Councils Grants Committee today agreed to provide £1.24 million towards projects promoting energy efficiency, water conservation and the use of renewable energy. It also approved £828,000 towards initiatives helping to minimise waste and for reuse and recycling projects.

London Councils received 12 applications for funding to promote energy efficiency, with the Grants Committee commissioning three groups. There were 11 applications for waste minimisation and recycling projects with five groups being commissioned.

By 2020 it is estimated that London will be producing 23.6 million tonnes of waste annually, and more than 85 per cent of it would need to be recycled or disposed of within London

About 25 per cent of the capital's waste is recycled, with London also the second best region in the country for diverting waste away from landfill. London sent approximately 362 kilograms per head of population of waste to landfill in 2005/6. The average figure across England was 370 kilograms.