The Wombles - Newham community recycling

Newham Community Recycling Ltd, or The Wombles as they are more commonly known, are a not-for-profit charitable organisation with a difference. The Wombles, much like their namesakes, have the ambitious aim of reusing and recycling "junk" and unwanted household goods in the community to reduce waste going to landfill.

Through The Wombles organisation, householders can arrange to have items collected free of charge, after which these items will be reused or recycled by passing them on to local community groups, educational establishments, charities and anyone who is referred to them through local and national welfare organisations and local council service depts. Alternatively goods are auctioned off with profits going to charities and other community organisations or to sustain the Wombles.


How to recycle your unwanted goods

If you have any suitable items for donation, please contact The Wombles on 0208 430 2000 or email the Wombles manager on wombles-recycling@hotmail.com

The Wombles are capable of recycling a wide range of items including:

• White goods - such as washing machines and dryers are recycled as scrap metal only
• Electrical equipment: Only computers as these are dismantled and are used to train people by rebuilding them
• Paint. The Wombles now partner a local project that runs a paint scheme and will take all the paint the Wombles can give them. Tins must be lidded!
• Building and Gardening Equipment. Tools, mowers, trowels, etc
• Toys, soft toys and bicycles
• Clothes and shoes
• Kitchen equipment - saucepans, utensils, crockery & cutlery along with cooking equipment
• Furniture - (providing it is in a good condition), chairs, tables, wardrobes and chests of drawers
• Bikes and exercise equipment
• General reusable items such as ornaments etc.
• Books, records, CDs and pre-recorded videos and DVDs

They are not able to collect:

• Glass bottles or jars (please take to your local recycling bank)
• Engine oil, tyres and aerosols or gas bottles
• Rubble and building materials

These can be taken to Jenkins Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre.


More about The Wombles...

The Wombles were founded, and are staffed, by local people. The organisation works to provide a worthwhile service that would not otherwise be provided by Council. They generate income through the Government's 'Landfill Community Fund', previously known as the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS), for the tonnage of recycled and reused material they divert from landfill disposal. This has made The Wombles sustainable since March 2006 and allowed them to take on another person, part-time, in November 2006 and to date all this recycling is done without any contracts in place.

During the latter part of 2006 The Wombles were offered the chance to recycle as much as possible from the UEL Barking Campus before its closure in 2007. With a minimum amount of money available from UEL The Wombles recycled different classroom, gym, office & stationary items from the campus, which was distributed between local community organisations, Newham schools, LBN offices, local service centres, community centres and local care homes along with student bedroom furniture which was passed onto numerous residents, both young and old in Newham. Recyclables such as paper and cardboard were taken to a recycling company in Newham along with all the metal The Wombles collected from the site and ALL the recycling figures were added to Newham's statutory recycling targets.

To help keep the group going and help Newham Council reach recycling targets The Wombles are now looking at contracted work, such as the UEL clearance, with local authorities as well as organisations within the community sector and have created several partnerships with such bodies as the London Development Agency, London Borough of Newham and UK Food Recycling which the Wombles hope will transfer to contracted work.