The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

Marathon Clean-up A Personal Best

Marathon finish
Marathon start
Marathon man
29 April 2019 | Updated 03 May 2019
 

The London Marathon saw 350,000 plastic bottles collected for reprocessing in record time - a PB for the waste management company involved.

The streets in the City of London, Westminster and Tower Hamlets were safely reopened within six hours.

The 26.2 mile race route passed through six London boroughs. Veolia managed the clear-up operation for three of them, making up the largest portion of the event’s route.

Veolia cleared all streets north of the River Thames including the City of London, Westminster and Tower Hamlets, where they deliver street cleansing, recycling and waste collections on behalf of the three local authorities.

Across the three locations, Veolia deployed over 40 vehicles and 120 staff. Based on the results from previous years, the company expects to have cleared over 350,000 plastic bottles from the race course.

“The London Marathon brings a huge number of people to our streets each year. We love bringing the biggest and best events to the city, but clearing up is a huge challenge to make sure our streets remain clean and safe for runners and spectators. With bins located around the borough we encourage everyone to use them to properly dispose of their rubbish. Our Veolia waste collection teams run a marathon clear up operation of their own – more than 700 staff working around the clock to getting the streets get back to normal and making sure all plastic bottles collected are recycled.”

Picture: A sustainable finish for runners' water bottles as City of London Corporation and Veolia work hard get them all on the starting blocks for recycling and clear the roads in under two hours.

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 29 April 2019

Share



Related Articles

PET's Alright - Recyclable Question Answered

In a recent article, ThisWeekinFM applauded ISS for selling bottles and carton of water for charity but questioned whether those receptacles could actually be...

 Read Full Article
The Issue Of Paper Straws Dogs McDonalds' Enviro Rep

Paper straws in workplaces and restaurants are as unrecyclable as their plastic forerunners. McDonalds' environmental reputation has been sullied by not telling their...

 Read Full Article
1 Million Tonnes of Plastic Packaging Waste Could be Avoided by 2029

Nearly 1 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste could be avoided by standardising materials within the next five years, according to a new report.   Watch...

 Read Full Article
Waste Management Platform to Gamify Recycling in Workplaces

A waste management company is rewarding correct waste segregation in workplaces by linking it to a weekly prize jackpot. SmartSegregation offers entry into weekly...

 Read Full Article
ESG Pro Appoints Full Bin as UAE and MENA Partner 

ESG Pro Limited will partner with Full Bin in the United Arab Emirates and MENA region. Full Bin, known for its waste management and recycling services, will use its...

 Read Full Article
Waste Management SaaS Platform Launches

A waste management and recycling SaaS platform designed to enhance the way businesses in the UK handle waste disposal is now live in the UK. Full Bin’s service...

 Read Full Article
First Mile Launches Return & Recycle for Workplaces

Businesses and workplaces throughout the UK can now help to power the circular economy thanks to the launch of First Mile’s Return & Recycle, a low-cost...

 Read Full Article
Harrods’ Facilities Team Achieves Paper Towel Sustainability

Harrods, the Knightsbridge luxury department store, has solved one of its biggest FM challenges by diverting tonnes of its used paper hand towels from general...

 Read Full Article
Survey Reveals Impact of Pandemic on Commercial Recycling

Rubbermaid Commercial Products has published findings from their second Love Recycling study, measuring the pandemic’s effect on commercial waste...

 Read Full Article
Recycling Week 2020 – Together We Recycle

Now in its 17th year, Recycle Week is a celebration and encouragement of recycling – in 2020, WRAP under the Recycle Now brand are thanking people for continued...

 Read Full Article