Recycling and Sustainability at Storage Lee
At Storage Lee, caring for your belongings goes hand in hand with caring for the environment. Our site has been designed as an eco-friendly waste disposal area, supporting customers who want to clear clutter responsibly while minimising their carbon footprint. From daily operations to long-term planning, sustainable rubbish removal is built into how we run our storage facility and how we manage every item that leaves it.
Our Recycling Percentage Target
We are committed to achieving a minimum 85 percent recycling and reuse rate for all waste leaving Storage Lee. This target applies to everyday rubbish removal from units as well as larger clear-outs and end-of-tenancy storage moves. We closely track volumes of mixed recyclables, cardboard, wood, metals and reusable household items to ensure that the majority of what comes through our facility is diverted away from landfill.
To reach and maintain this recycling percentage target, we work with licensed local transfer stations and specialist recycling partners that can sort materials at a finer level than is possible on-site. This includes separation of paper and cardboard, different grades of plastic, metals, glass and construction materials where appropriate.
Eco-Friendly Waste Disposal Area On-Site
Our eco-friendly waste disposal area is designed to make it simple for customers to separate items correctly before they leave the site. Clear signage explains where to place general waste, mixed dry recyclables, cardboard, clean plastics and items that may require special treatment such as electricals or small appliances.
We mirror the approach used across many London boroughs, which encourage residents to separate dry mixed recycling from residual waste and to flatten cardboard to reduce volume. Customers are encouraged to break down boxes, keep clean recyclables loose rather than bagged where possible, and keep food waste out of recyclable streams.
Where customers are unsure, our team can advise whether items are suitable for standard recycling, should go to a reuse partner, or must be treated as non-recyclable waste. This guidance is a key part of keeping our eco-friendly waste disposal area effective and compliant with local regulations.
Sustainable Rubbish Removal Area
For customers using our clearance and collection services, we operate a dedicated sustainable rubbish removal area. Items collected from homes, offices and storage units are unloaded here for sorting and assessment before being sent on to local transfer stations, recyclers or charities.
Our process prioritises reuse first, then recycling, then disposal as a last resort. Reusable furniture, working small appliances, household goods and office equipment are separated quickly so that they can be redirected to partner organisations rather than treated as waste. This approach reduces the amount of material processed as general rubbish and supports our recycling percentage target.
Working with Local Transfer Stations
Storage Lee works with licensed local transfer stations across the area to ensure all waste is handled safely and in line with environmental regulations. These facilities are equipped to separate and process large volumes of material, improving the quality and quantity of recyclables recovered from mixed loads.
By using transfer stations close to our facility, we minimise transport distances and reduce emissions from journeys between our site and final recycling or disposal destinations. The stations we use support the broader borough-level strategy for waste separation, including the sorting of metals, hardcore, wood, garden waste and bulky household items for recycling wherever possible.
Partnerships with Charities and Reuse Organisations
A key part of our sustainability strategy is making sure that good-quality items are reused locally. Storage Lee maintains active partnerships with charities and community reuse projects that welcome donations of household furniture, office chairs and desks, kitchenware, books, and other items in clean, usable condition.
When customers ask us to help clear a unit, we always look first for potential reuse. Items that meet the condition requirements of our partner organisations are set aside in a dedicated holding area before being collected. This helps local charities stock their shops and community projects, while giving customers an easy, ethical alternative to disposal.
Where items cannot be reused as they are, we still explore whether parts can be recovered. For example, metal frames, wooden components and certain textiles can be separated and sent to appropriate recycling outlets via our transfer station partners.
Low-Carbon Vans and Smarter Transport
Transport is one of the largest contributors to emissions in the storage and clearance industry. To address this, Storage Lee is steadily upgrading its fleet to low-carbon vans, focusing on modern, fuel-efficient models and lower-emission technologies where available. Our goal is to cut emissions per collection and per tonne of waste moved each year.
We also plan routes carefully to reduce unnecessary mileage. Wherever practical, collections are grouped by area so that our vehicles can complete multiple jobs on a single, efficient route. This reduces congestion, fuel consumption and overall environmental impact while keeping our sustainable rubbish removal services reliable and cost-effective.
Recycling Activity in the Local Area
The surrounding boroughs operate well-established recycling schemes that encourage residents to use separate containers for mixed dry recycling and residual waste, as well as additional services for garden waste and bulky item collections. At Storage Lee, we align our on-site guidance with these familiar systems to make it easier for customers to understand how to sort items correctly.
We regularly review local authority updates on recycling rules, accepted materials and contamination guidelines. This helps us keep our eco-friendly waste disposal area consistent with local expectations and ensures that the materials we send onwards are suitable for processing at borough facilities and transfer stations.
Our Ongoing Sustainability Commitments
Recycling and sustainable rubbish removal are not one-off projects for us; they are ongoing commitments. We review our performance against our 85 percent recycling and reuse target, monitor the efficiency of our low-carbon vans, and track how much material is being donated or reused through our charity partnerships.
As new recycling technologies, borough initiatives and community projects emerge, Storage Lee will continue to adapt. Our aim is to give every customer a straightforward, responsible way to deal with unwanted items, while helping to protect the local environment and reduce the overall impact of storage and clearance in the Lee area.
