Recycling - We Can!

Tower Hamlets Council launched a massive new recycling campaign - We Can Recycle More - the biggest campaign of its type ever seen in the borough - with a spectacular giant robot display with special effects on 7 October at Spitalfields Market.

At 6m tall, the giant robot which is made of 33 recycling bins towers over a double-decker bus. The giant has been built with the support of the council's recycling contractor, Veolia. At three times the height of the average man in Britain and about the size of the average two-storey house the giant will now tour the streets as the council's ambassador for recycling as well as visiting community days, in residential areas and estates.

Alongside the towering robot, the council's campaign to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and how to use the borough's recycling service will see hundreds of posters on bill boards and buses starring local people who recycle.

This follows the introduction of new services in the borough - garden and food waste recycling as well as an army of litter pickers who sort recyclable litter at the point they collect it for the first time. The borough also recently launched Whitechapel as the first market in the country to recycle 100 per cent of the waste it generates.

Tower Hamlets Council's Lead Member for Cleaner, Safer, Greener Councillor Abdal Ullah said: "It's no secret that Tower Hamlets is among the lowest recycling authorities in the country. But rather than just accept this fact the council is going all out with a massive campaign to get the whole community involved in recycling more.

"Our recycling rates in September this year were the highest they have ever been at 16 and a half per cent. This shows that people are responding to our services and the improvements we have made. We are really keen to carry on working with people and encouraging everyone to get involved and recycle more."

Children from Ben Jonson Primary school also attended to showcase a DVD they produced with the council's waste education officer about recycling.

Introducing Mr Recycle More!

Tower Hamlets Council's ambassador for recycling, Mr Recycle More, took 50 days of work to make from the drawing board to completion.

He towers over a double decker bus at 20ft tall and comprises

• 12 x 240 litre bins
• 12 x 140 litre bins
• 8 X 20 litre kerbside caddies
• 1 x 1280 litre bin
• 1 x golf buggy

It takes three people to manoeuvre him and he has a range of lines he uses to speak to people and encourage them to recycle.

He has an internal lighting system.

Mr Recycle More was built with the assistance of our recycling contractor, Veolia.

Mr Recycle More was built by Emergency Exit Arts

He likes people who recycle!