Water transport
May 5, 2009
Two London waste management and recycling companies have become the latest to trial the transport of waste materials by water in a bid to reduce their carbon footprints.
LondonWaste and Bywaters have teamed up with the Hertfordshire-based water transport firm SmartBarge, which uses only shallow draft tugs, for the trial via canals and the Thames.
London Waste operates energy-from-waste and recycling facilities at its Edmonton site. Following a water journey, a container of its material was taken just half a mile by road to Bywaters' materials recycling facility for sorting, which is capable of handling 250,000 tonnes of mixed recyclables a year.
David Rumble, project manager for Bywaters, said, "Water transport has 20% of the carbon footprint of road and it was a fantastic opportunity to see a process in action that will continue to prevent further damage to our precious environment."
In similar news, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, has pledged funds to extend Tower Pier and possibly the city's 32 other piers in a potential boost for commercial property and office space alongside the Thames. A direct ferry service is also now available between Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf. Some water services will soon be able to accept Oyster Pay As You Go cards, thus further promoting the river as part of the city's transport network.
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