Hackney pilots community skips for circular economy initiatives

Hackney Council is piloting a new community skip initiative aimed at promoting a circular economy and tackling waste. The pilot will focus on collecting circular economy items, such as bulky reuse items, small electricals (WEEE), and textiles, and will integrate give and take reuse tables linked with local charities. This initiative is part of Hackney's broader efforts to encourage residents to reduce, reuse, and repair.

Two Hackney Council waste management workers stand with bags of recycling.
Hackney Council waste management workers.Source: Skills, Place and Economy Scrutiny Commission papers, 14 October 2026

The community skips pilot is planned as a phased, seasonal programme of four events per year, prioritising high-footfall sites. This approach aims to leverage existing council fleet and resources while focusing on items that can be reused or recycled, rather than duplicating existing council bulky waste collections or permanent Reuse and Recycling Centres.

Councillor Charlene Concepcion inquired about the community skips pilot, asking for more information on timelines and the encouragement of reuse and repair. Officers confirmed that the pilot is in its early stages and will connect with reuse initiatives. The pilot is described as being in its early stages and a 12-month pilot is planned. Funding for staffing and associated costs is still to be sought ahead of delivery.

The projected costs for running the pilot are for weekend overtime for safe site management, queue control, residency checks and strict H&S oversight. The proposed model is described as pragmatic and targeted and will Utilise in-house caged vehicles and mobile receptacles to avoid capital costs. Funding for these costs is still to be sought.

A person in a high-visibility vest sorts through a large pile of discarded items on a sidewalk, with a "Places Management" van in the background and cyclists and a car passing on the street.
Sorting discarded items.Source: Skills, Place and Economy Scrutiny Commission papers, 14 October 2026

While the initiative aims to capture circular economy items, evidence across north London indicates that mobile skips do not significantly reduce middle- to long-term fly-tipping, which is predominantly driven by commercial evasion and unlicensed rogue traders. To address potential challenges, Hackney proposes a Phased & Limited pilot program focusing on circular economy items and prioritising high-footfall sites over housing estates, while Utilising existing in-house fleet and identifying suitable locations.

The community skips pilot is part of a wider strategy to achieve zero waste to landfill and reduce residual streams by 50% by 2040. Other initiatives within this strategy include mandatory food waste collections, estate recycling upgrades, AI-fitted cameras on collection vehicles, and advocating for pan-London public awareness campaigns and legislative reform. The council is also enhancing enforcement resources and implementing measures such as smart CCTV and community workshops. Additionally, Hackney is focused on reducing single-use plastics through market licensing and the Bring It Hackney campaign.

A woman smiles while holding an orange and a reusable shopping bag filled with produce, with the word "BRING IT" visible in large yellow text.
The 'Bring It Hackney' campaign.Source: Skills, Place and Economy Scrutiny Commission papers, 14 October 2026

Public reports pack Wednesday 14-Oct-2026 19.00 Skills Place and Economy Scrutiny Commission.pdf