The South London Waste Partnership is made up of four local councils (Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton) who are working together to provide improved and more cost-effective waste management services to their residents.

The way waste is treated and disposed of has changed beyond recognition in recent years. The days of being able to simply bury our waste in large holes in the ground are gone. Councils across the country must now find more innovative and sustainable ways of recovering, re-using, recycling, treating and disposing of the waste they collect.

This is a big challenge and the cost of getting it wrong – both financially and environmentally – is huge.

Faced with this challenge, the boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton recognised that they could find better and more cost-effective solutions by working together. It was clear that by pooling finances, resources and expertise, the four boroughs could save money and deliver a more efficient waste management service on behalf of council tax payers.

In 2003 the South London Waste Partnership was formed.

The four boroughs work together in a spirit of true partnership, sharing commitment and common objectives.  The ‘glue’ that holds the Partnership together is an important, legally binding, document called the Inter Authority Agreement.  This document clearly defines the roles that each of the four boroughs plays and ensures that all boroughs gain equal benefit from being involved.