Recycling and Sustainability — Gardening Regents Park

Eco-friendly waste disposal area for a greener park

Gardening Regents Park is committed to creating an eco-friendly waste disposal area and a thriving sustainable rubbish gardening area that supports biodiversity, reduces landfill and models best practice for urban green spaces. Our strategy balances practical on-site sorting, partnerships with local organisations, and a measurable emissions reduction plan to ensure every bag, branch and container is handled responsibly.

Targets for recycling and sustainable waste management

We have set an ambitious recycling percentage target of 70% by 2030 across all park operations, with interim targets of 55% by 2026 and 63% by 2028. These figures apply to mixed organics, dry recycling and reusable material streams related to maintenance, events and horticulture. Meeting this goal requires continuous monitoring, behavioural nudges through signage, and investment in dedicated infrastructure for green waste, compostables and separated dry recyclables.

The local boroughs' approach to waste separation underpins our on-site system: typical collections separate food waste, garden waste and dry recycling (paper, card, cans, glass and certain plastics). To align with this, our park recycling zones mirror borough protocols so material can flow seamlessly into municipal transfer networks.

To make the sustainable rubbish gardening area practical and accessible, we partner with nearby transfer stations that specialise in green and mixed waste processing. Examples of services we routinely use include:

• Local green waste reception points for composting and mulch production
• Dry recycling transfer stations that accept separated paper, glass and metal
• Specialist depots for bulky organic material and woody biomass

These transfer stations enable us to close the loop: wood chippings are returned as mulch, food and garden waste become compost used in beds, and reusable structural materials are redirected to community projects.

Partnerships with charities, social enterprises and reuse organisations are central to our circular approach. We work with local charities to redirect usable items from park operations — for example, pots, planting frames and tools that are surplus to requirements are cleaned and offered through charity reuse schemes rather than discarded. Such collaborations reduce waste and provide community benefit while supporting the ethos of a sustainable rubbish gardening area.

Composting and green waste recycling are key activities on-site: leaf litter, prunings and horticultural residues are processed in managed windrows and in-vessel composters where appropriate. The resulting compost is returned to the soil, improving structure and helping the park retain carbon. We also operate a dedicated wood-chipping station for branches, producing mulch that suppresses weeds and reduces irrigation demand.

Our waste separation signage is designed to reflect borough-level sorting — clear icons for organics, mixed recycling and residual waste help visitors and contractors comply with local policy. Regular staff and contractor training reinforces correct separation at source, which is vital for achieving our recycling targets.

Logistics for a sustainable waste area prioritise low-emission transport. We use a small fleet of low-carbon vans for short-haul collections to nearby transfer stations; these include electric vans and efficient plug-in hybrids for routes with heavier loads. By consolidating trips, scheduling off-peak movements and using low-emission vehicles, we cut carbon from our operational footprint while maintaining reliable removal of park waste streams.

Alongside municipal partnerships, we engage charities that specialise in reuse and upcycling to take viable materials from park maintenance and events. Items such as plant supports, trellises and decorative timber are salvaged and repurposed where possible, creating new life for materials that would otherwise become rubbish. This also fosters a local circular economy: reused materials support community greening projects and training programmes.

Monitoring and continuous improvement are embedded in our approach. We publish annual waste diversion figures and perform routine spot-checks on separation performance. A combination of weighbridge data at transfer points, regular audits and contractor reporting allows us to track progress against our targets and refine operational practices that reduce contamination and increase recovery.

Our sustainable waste area also supports events, where temporary waste management stations and clear recycling streams reduce the environmental impact of celebrations and festivals. Event organisers are required to use our park-approved separation systems and to plan for removal of any materials that cannot be composted or recycled on-site.

We emphasise the importance of resource recovery and the role of green infrastructure in carbon reduction. By keeping organic matter in the soil, diverting materials to reuse, and using low-emission collection vehicles, the Gardening Regents Park recycling programme demonstrates practical steps toward an environmentally resilient urban park.

Looking ahead, the park will continue to expand collection points, increase community partnerships and transition the fleet further toward zero-emission vehicles. Our commitment to an eco-friendly waste disposal area and a robust sustainable rubbish gardening area is both operational and aspirational: it reduces waste, lowers carbon and supports circular economy principles across the park and the surrounding neighbourhoods.