The waste collected by Veolia Lambeth along London Southbank has been turned into waste to power London homes following the New Year fireworks display.
An estimated 100,000 revelers lined the banks of the River Thames to watch the Mayor’s showcase fireworks and welcome in the start of 2017. As 12,000 fireworks painted the night sky, approximately seven tonnes of waste were discarded by spectators.
Shortly after the last firework popped, the New Year’s Eve cleansing team from Veolia Lambeth swept into action. Working tirelessly from 1:00am, the team comprising of 44 street cleaners, two refuse trucks and six mechanical sweepers took just over five hours to clear the streets of all waste.
Steve Verrier, Senior Contract Manager at Veolia Lambeth said “Every year tens of thousands people gather in Lambeth around the Southbank and London Eye to watch the spectacular fireworks and see in the New Year. Our dedicated cleansing service is on hand to clear-up after this event and over 40 people do extraordinary work in a very short time to protect the environment and bring the area back to a clean standard. I'd like to thank all those staff involved in another successful clear up operation“.
The collected waste was used as fuel to generate 3500 KWh of electricity for London - enough energy to make 84,000 cups of coffee or travel on the Northern Line from Waterloo to Clapham Common and back again.
Sean Noakes, Environmental Manager at Veolia Lambeth said “Events such as this produce very high levels of waste and it is important that it is disposed of in a responsible way. By converting waste into fuel, it allows us to turn it into a resource for Londoners”.