Recycling and Sustainability — London Landscape Gardeners

London Landscape Gardeners are committed to practical, measurable sustainability across every job, from a single front garden to large commercial planting schemes. Our approach balances urban design with real-world waste reduction: we prioritise onsite reuse, responsible transfer of materials, and long-term partnerships so that green waste, soils and salvageable materials are diverted from landfill. Our headline recycling percentage target is to achieve a minimum of 85% reuse or recycling of green and inert site waste by 2030, with an interim target of 75% by 2026.

As landscape gardeners in London we operate across many boroughs with different waste separation rules, and we adapt to each local system. We use low-carbon vans and cargo bikes for inner-London works, and we publish progress on recycling rates in our annual sustainability update. Transparency and continuous improvement are central: every project logs waste streams so we can report the tonnage recycled, composted, reused or responsibly processed.

We maintain relationships with Licensed Transfer Stations and Materials Recycling Facilities (MRFs) across the capital. Where local boroughs provide separate garden waste collections (brown-bin schemes) we integrate with those programs; where they require delivery to a transfer station we use accredited facilities that prioritise composting and mechanical biological treatment. Typical local hubs we work with include Edmonton EcoPark and the Riverside energy/recovery network, alongside borough transfer stations and community composting sites. Our logistics team selects the nearest licensed facility to minimise vehicle miles and limit emissions.

Charity and Community Partnerships

We actively partner with charities and community groups to extend the life of plants, soil and materials. Instead of bulk disposal, we donate healthy shrubs, trees and surplus topsoil to community gardens, allotment societies and conservation projects. Partnerships include working with local community gardening charities, borough-run community orchards, and environmental organisations that accept plant and soil donations for habitat restoration initiatives. These collaborations help keep usable materials circulating within London’s green sector and reduce the need for new resources.

How we handle separation and reuse

On-site sorting is standard practice for our teams. Green waste is separated from wood, inert materials and mixed construction spoil. We prioritise:

• Chipping and mulching of woody material for reuse on-site or transfer to composting partners
• Screening and reusing good-quality topsoil after contamination checks
• Segregation of bricks, paving slabs and stone for salvage or re-use in new hardscape work

This method aligns with borough-level separation schemes — many London boroughs provide brown-bin garden collections and expect trade waste to be transported to licensed sites when not suitable for on-site reuse.

We also support local circular-economy initiatives: soil-banking for later reuse, reclaiming paving for resurfacing paths, and converting bulky organic waste into compost through community composting agreements. All plant health risks are managed in line with current regulations, ensuring that reused soils and plant material do not introduce pests or diseases into community spaces.

Fleet, Fuel and Low-carbon Delivery

Our fleet strategy forms a core part of the sustainability plan. London landscaping gardeners who care for the city must reduce transport emissions: we are transitioning to electric vans for short-range, high-frequency jobs and using low-emission Euro VI or hybrid units where electric range is not yet practical. Route optimisation software, consolidated deliveries, and using cargo bikes for central London projects help cut down on CO2 and NOx emissions. We track miles, fuel use and emissions so we can measure reductions year-on-year.

Our commitment also includes supplier selection: we work with suppliers who share our recycling goals and use recycled aggregates, reclaimed timber and peat-free composts wherever practicable. Borough approaches to waste separation vary, so our procurement team ensures that materials sourced for landscaping are compatible with local disposal and recycling streams. Where regulations permit, we manufacture mulch and compost from site arisings to create closed-loop outcomes for clients and community projects.

In practical terms the recycling targets are achieved by combining diligent on-site practice, partnerships with transfer stations and charities, and a greener transport policy. We report against key performance indicators: percentage of green waste reused, tonnes sent to composting, tonnes salvaged for reuse, and net transport emissions per project. By embedding these measures into normal operating procedures, the wider team of landscape gardeners in London can deliver beautiful, resilient spaces while keeping sustainability central.