Recycling and Sustainability at Storage Old Ford
Storage Old Ford is committed to providing an eco-friendly waste disposal area and a genuinely sustainable rubbish removal area for all customers who use our self storage facility. Our aim is to make it simple to store responsibly, recycle more, and send less to landfill, while supporting the local community and reducing our carbon footprint across East London.
Our Recycling Commitment and Targets
We are working towards a minimum recycling rate of 75 percent of all non-hazardous waste generated on site. This target covers packaging materials, unwanted household items, office clear-outs, and typical storage-related waste. To achieve this, our on-site recycling points are clearly labelled and designed to follow the local boroughs recognised approach to waste separation, including separating dry mixed recycling from general waste, and where possible segregating cardboard, paper, metals, and plastics.
We regularly review the performance of our eco-friendly waste disposal area, monitoring what is placed in recycling containers and how much is diverted from residual waste. Our team receives training to help customers understand which materials can be recycled and how to prepare them, for example flattening cardboard boxes, removing soft plastic film, and avoiding contamination with food or liquid.
Eco-Friendly Waste Disposal Area
The eco-friendly waste disposal area at Storage Old Ford is designed to be straightforward and clearly organised. Customers can dispose of typical storage-related items such as cardboard, clean plastics, scrap metal, and small electrical items in the correct containers. In line with local council guidance from nearby boroughs, we encourage customers to separate recyclables from general rubbish before they arrive, which speeds up the process and increases recycling effectiveness.
We do not accept hazardous waste, paint, chemicals, gas canisters, or clinical waste in our eco-friendly waste disposal area. Instead, we guide customers towards appropriate specialist services or local civic amenity centres that can handle these materials safely and in accordance with environmental regulations.
Sustainable Rubbish Removal Area
Our sustainable rubbish removal area is designed for customers who need support with larger clearances, such as moving out of a flat, decluttering before a move, or closing a business unit. When customers request rubbish removal, we apply a hierarchy of decision-making: reuse first, recycle second, and disposal only as a last resort.
Items that are in good condition are identified for potential reuse through our charity partnerships. Materials that cannot be reused are sorted where practicable so that metals, timber, cardboard, and other recyclables can be separated. Only the remainder is passed on as residual waste. This step-by-step approach makes the sustainable rubbish removal area a core part of our environmental strategy rather than a simple throw-away zone.
Use of Local Transfer Stations
Storage Old Ford works with licensed local waste transfer stations in East London, ensuring that materials leaving our site are handled responsibly. These facilities are equipped to sort mixed loads, recovering recyclables such as metals, aggregates, timber, and high-grade plastics, in line with borough-wide recycling priorities.
By using local transfer stations instead of distant facilities, we help keep transport emissions down and support local employment in the recycling sector. We request data from our waste management partners to understand the recycling rates achieved downstream, feeding this information back into our own 75 percent recycling target and helping us improve over time.
Partnerships with Charities and Reuse Organisations
Many customers bring items to Storage Old Ford that are no longer needed but still in good working order. Rather than sending these straight to waste, we promote donation and reuse through established charities and community groups in East London. Typical items that can often be reused include furniture, small electricals that pass basic safety checks, books, clothing, kitchenware, and children’s toys.
Our team can advise on bagging and packaging donations so that they are ready for collection or drop-off with partner organisations. Reuse through charities not only diverts waste from landfill but also supports households in need and local social enterprises. Whenever possible, our rubbish removal services give priority to reuse routes before any form of disposal.
Low-Carbon Vans and Transport Choices
Transport is a major contributor to emissions in the storage and removals sector, so Storage Old Ford is steadily shifting towards a lower-carbon fleet. Our aim is for at least 60 percent of our collection and delivery mileage to be carried out by low-carbon vans, including modern fuel-efficient vehicles and, where feasible, hybrid or fully electric vans.
We encourage customers to combine journeys, share trips where practical, and make use of our scheduled low-carbon van runs for collections from nearby boroughs. By planning routes carefully and consolidating loads, we reduce both costs and emissions. These low-carbon vans support our eco-friendly waste disposal area and sustainable rubbish removal area by transporting recyclable materials and donations to local transfer stations and charities with a reduced environmental footprint.
Local Recycling Practices and Customer Guidance
East London boroughs, including those surrounding Old Ford, emphasise clear waste separation at source, with a strong focus on dry mixed recycling, food waste collections, and bulky waste reuse schemes. Storage Old Ford mirrors these local priorities on-site, encouraging customers to separate recyclables before arrival and to keep food and liquids out of recycling containers.
We provide simple signage around our eco-friendly waste disposal area and sustainable rubbish removal area, using familiar colours and terms that align with local council schemes. This consistency makes it easier for customers to do the right thing without having to learn a completely new system, and it helps us maintain cleaner, higher-value recycling streams.
Continuous Improvement and Customer Involvement
Our recycling and sustainability plans are reviewed regularly as local infrastructure, borough strategies, and environmental best practice evolve. We aim to raise our recycling rate over time beyond our 75 percent target by working closely with waste transfer partners, exploring new reuse opportunities, and expanding our low-carbon van usage.
Customers at Storage Old Ford play a crucial role in this journey. By separating waste carefully, using our designated areas responsibly, and choosing our more sustainable rubbish removal options, you help to protect the environment and support the wider community. Together, we can make storage and clearances in Old Ford cleaner, greener, and more sustainable year after year.
