After the Notting Hill Carnival was safely welcomed back to the borough after a three year hiatus, Kensington and Chelsea Council said getting the streets cleared and back to normal was high on the agenda.
Around 300 tonnes of rubbish are estimated to have been cleared after this year’s Carnival – the equivalent of 25 London buses. The task was completed by 200 cleaners supported by 30 refuse trucks and sweepers, over Monday night ready for Tuesday morning.
The Council says it recycles all it can of the collected rubbish, including composting the waste collected from over 1000 toilet facilities. It continues that it increased the number of food waste collections, with more than 80 stall holders participating in the collection scheme.
Gary O’Hagan, SUEZ Recycling & Recovery UK Contract General Manager said: “We’re very pleased with the way in which our workforce performed over the weekend, and for new members of the team to gain experience of one of the biggest clean-up operations in Europe.
“SUEZ has been carrying out the Carnival clear up for the Council for many years, with a tried and tested operational plan. Thanks to meticulous planning and the hard work of our crews, we’re able to have the streets ready for Tuesday’s early morning commuters.”
Kensington and Chelsea says they and their contractors SUEZ are responsible for clearing 85% of the total waste produced over the two-day event.
The biggest challenge is the clean-up and whilst Carnival is a wonderful reflection of our, diverse, multi-cultural community, we want to return the streets back to normal as soon as possible, with minimal disruptions.
With the crews unable to start work until the crowds have dispersed and the need to have the rubbish cleared and streets cleaned by 6am Tuesday morning, the Council says it’s a precision operation that involves months of careful planning.
Final figures for clean-up total weight will be confirmed later this week; in 2019 over 300 tonnes were collected.
Kensington and Chelsea Council lifted the lid on how council workers and infrastructure supports the world-famous event. The Council said that licensing officers, waste collectors, and transport officers are some examples of the people working alongside organisers to make Carnival happen.
Licensing was needed for 300 food stalls and 38 live sound systems to support the 72 Masquerade bands, 11 steel pan bands, and 100 live stage acts.
1,000 compostable, chemical and water-free toilet facilities, (made up of 480+ cubicles, 600 urinals and over 40 accessible cubicles) were provided. Waste collectors needed to clear around 300 tonnes of waste between Sunday and Monday and at the end of the Carnival.
Weekends at the seaside with Age UK for up to 40 elderly and vulnerable residents living on the Carnival route were also organised.
I want to thank our waste collection teams at SUEZ and everyone who works throughout the night to make (the clean up) happen.
The Council say the Kensington and Chelsea teams make up the officers, wardens, and cleaners who ensure the carnival all comes together safely and efficiently. Both say that the carnival has grown from a small parade to fight racial injustice into a wonderfully diverse and electrifying street festival which has contributed greatly to tourism in the area.
Kensington and Chelsea also support local organisations to take elderly and vulnerable residents away on a trip over the bank holiday, as well as working with groups such as mental health charity Hestia, to arrange alternative events for their service users.
Kensington and Chelsea Council says they have been prepping residents in advance with booklets, provided a dedicated phone line that will be open over the weekend, and set up an online hub of information available at www.rbkc.gov.uk/carnival that covers everything from road closures to free basement cleaning for any properties affected by Carnival.
Lead Member for Culture, Leisure and Community Safety, Cllr Emma Will, said: “I’m so pleased to see how well Carnival has gone and everyone has worked so hard to ensure it ran smoothly.
“The biggest challenge is the clean-up and whilst Carnival is a wonderful reflection of our, diverse, multi-cultural community, we want to return the streets back to normal as soon as possible, with minimal disruptions.
“I want to thank our waste collection teams at SUEZ and everyone who works throughout the night to make that happen. With 30% of waste recycled and the chemical, water-free toilets that were available, we’ll continue to move towards a greener Carnival however we can.”
