Network Rail has launched a new initiative to increase recycling rates at stations and avoid the need to send waste to landfill.
In partnership with The Green Block, Network Rail can now track the journey of a coffee cup from station waste bins.
For the last four years, a Mobile Segregation Unit (MSU) supplied by The Green Block has been in place at London Victoria Station.
After rubbish has been collected from trains, public bins, and retailers, it is manually segregated into recyclable commodities and accurate digital data about the waste is collected.
Since the trial started, Network Rail has recycled over 7,000 tonnes of waste from London Victoria station, and in the last three years recycling rates at the station have increased from 13% to 91%.
Over a 12-month period, the carbon footprint at the station is expected to be reduced by 121 tonnes.
To coincide with National Recycling Week from Monday, 14th to Friday, 18th October, Network Rail has installed sixty 1,100 litre bins at London Victoria station that each have a QR code that allows the journey of a coffee cup to be tracked as it is recycled.
The bins also provide a revenue stream for the railway and reduce the cost of managing waste.
Since December 2023 they have generated £10,000 for Network Rail and created 18 local and sustainable jobs for the local community.
Two further Mobile Segregation Units have been installed at London Bridge and London Waterloo stations to recycle waste from Network Rail’s Southern Region and its other managed stations at Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Clapham Junction and Guildford.
It is estimated that with the unit at Victoria, they will segregate, bale, and recycle 1,500 coffee cups each day, equivalent to approximately 42,000 coffee cups every four weeks.
Network Rail is also using technology to help it locate forgotten scrap materials from the side of railway lines by using Artificial Intelligence software. Train operator Northern has also introduced an initiative to recycle old uniforms, and last year recycled over 10.000 kg of them.
“We’ve got a fantastic opportunity to do our job in a way that minimises our impact on the environment, and we’re absolutely committed to being cleaner, greener and more socially responsible.
Karin Skelton, Network Rail’s Sustainability Programme Manager
“We produce thousands of tonnes of waste every year at our big London stations, so The Green Block partnership means we’ve been able to significantly improve our recycling rates to over 90%. But we’re committed to doing even more and are aiming to reach 95%, as well as eradicating the waste we send to landfill. The best thing about this project is that our passengers don’t need to change a thing.”
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