80 businesses sign up for West End air quality initiative

Over 80 businesses across London’s West End have signed up to a scheme aimed at reducing the number of vehicles on the city’s roads and improving air quality.

Heart of London Business Alliance has spearheaded the clean air initiative and waste consolidation scheme which supports businesses to collectively improve air quality across the West End.

Paper Round and Westminster supply consolidated waste services to businesses in the West End to cut vehicle movements

Since September 2017, 83 businesses including Fortnum and Mason, Bespoke Hotels and The Comedy Store have signed up to the services which include, the introduction of organised waste recycling vehicles and deliveries of office supplies.

In May 2018, Heart of London reported that 203 vehicle movements were reduced as a result of the preferred supplier initiative.

Ros Morgan, chief executive of Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “From the implementation of the congestion charge to Sadiq Khan’s campaign in 2017, air quality in London has been one of the most important topics on the agenda in recent times. In London’s West End, due to the vast amount of restaurants, cinemas and theatres, pollution levels had reached a critical point and thus residents and businesses, with our help, have decided to take action.

“By streamlining the waste removal service into two departments, there has been a resounding reduction in vehicles across London’s West End and thus a process that creates a progressive solution for the challenges of the future.”

Waste collection

As part of the scheme, Westminster city council and Paper Round supply commercial waste collections to businesses in the Piccadilly and St James’s, and Leicester Square areas who are signed up to be a part of the West End Buyers Club.

Sarah Craddock, Commercial Waste Project Manager of Westminster city council and Veolia said: “Westminster city council and Veolia are delighted to be working with Heart of London, sharing the common aims of improving the public realm, reducing waste vehicle movements and their associated air emissions, whilst at the same time enhancing recycling levels through high quality recycling service provision.”

Alison Roe, director of Paper Round, added: ‘Air Quality is a vital challenge for the cities of today and we all need to play our part working towards cleaner air. At Paper Round, we are delighted to have found in Heart of London the perfect partner to tackle vehicle movement reduction by developing an innovative approach to the consolidation of waste collections.”

Heart of London Business Alliance represents 500 businesses and 100 property owners in the Piccadilly & St James’s and Leicester Square areas and supports the commercial wellbeing of the businesses and organisations.