Gardeners Catford: Recycling and Sustainability for Greener Gardens

Gardeners Catford is committed to creating an eco-friendly waste disposal area and a sustainable rubbish gardening area across Catford and neighbouring boroughs. Our approach combines practical site-based recycling with community partnerships, low-carbon transport and clear targets so that every garden clearance or maintenance visit reduces landfill, saves resources and supports local reuse.

We design each job to prioritise reuse and segregation at source. Where possible, we sort material into separate streams — green waste for composting, food-soiled organics where accepted, and dry recyclables such as paper, cardboard, glass, metals and plastics — aligning with the boroughs' approach to waste separation. Lewisham and neighbouring councils typically separate garden and food waste from dry recyclables, and our crews mirror that system to reduce contamination and increase recycling rates.

To measure progress we set a clear recycling percentage target. Our short-term aim is to achieve a 60% recycling rate for all green and garden-related wastes collected by Gardeners Catford, with an aspirational target of 70% within five years through improved sorting, expanded reuse and stronger charity partnerships. These targets are tracked per job and reported internally so we can continually improve our sustainable rubbish gardening area performance.

We work with municipal and private facilities to ensure materials are transferred to the right place. Materials that cannot be processed at site are taken to local transfer stations and treatment centres. For local transfer stations we use municipal facilities serving the borough and surrounding areas — for example, the borough transfer station network serving Lewisham and neighbouring boroughs, and nearby transfer sites such as the Beddington Lane transfer facility where appropriate — always choosing the lowest-carbon logistics route.

Our practical on-the-ground actions include:

• Segregation at source — separate containers for green waste, hardcore and dry recyclables.
• Composting and chipping — wood and branches are chipped for mulch or sent for commercial composting.
• Donation and reuse — reusable soil, pots and tools are checked for viability and offered to charity partners.

We keep an auditable chain of custody for larger clearances, ensuring bulky items are diverted from landfill and taken to specialist reuse depots or transfer stations that accept construction-type green waste. This transparency helps us improve the sustainable rubbish gardening area and meet our recycling targets.

Partnerships with local charities and community organisations are central to our circular approach. We collaborate with community gardens, food growing projects and social enterprises — for example, local groups like Groundwork London and smaller community growers — to donate usable compost, planters and salvaged materials. These relationships not only reduce waste but also support social value in Catford by supplying materials to those running community growing spaces.

Our charity partnerships follow a simple hierarchy of waste avoidance: reuse first, recycle second, dispose last. When items are still in good condition we channel them to charity partners, community swap events, or recovery programmes so functional goods remain in circulation instead of being processed as waste.

To help clients prepare for a greener job, our crews offer clear on-site sorting and use labelled containers and tags so that gardens become part of a wider eco-friendly waste disposal area. We also provide written job summaries that show what was recycled, what was donated and what required transfer to a facility — information that contributes to our ongoing sustainability reporting.

Low-carbon transport is another pillar of our sustainability plan. Gardeners Catford operates a mixed fleet of low-emission vans, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric cargo bikes for short deliveries and small clearances. By prioritising ULEZ-compliant and electric vehicles we cut transport emissions and support a low-carbon operational footprint across the borough.

Technology and training ensure the eco-friendly waste disposal area concept is implemented consistently: crews receive regular training on waste separation rules used by local councils, contamination prevention and best practice for reusing materials. This reduces errors at collection and keeps dry recyclables clean so they can be processed at municipal lines.

We believe in measurable outcomes. Regular internal audits compare collection data against our recycling percentage target and identify opportunities to improve routes, partner choices and on-site practices. By combining low-carbon vans, targeted partnerships with charities, and a focus on local transfer stations we create a resilient, sustainable rubbish gardening area that benefits customers, the borough and the local environment.