WLWA marks 40 years with a look to the future

West London Waste Authority (WLWA) brought together partners, colleagues and friends from across the waste and resources sector to celebrate its 40th anniversary and explore what the next four decades could hold.

Held at the Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge on 14 October, representatives from local government, London’s waste disposal authorities, contractors and circular economy organisations came together for an evening of lively discussion and networking. The focus was as much on the future as the past, with partnership and collaboration running throughout the programme.

Looking back to look forward

Cllr. Dominic Moffitt, Chair of WLWA, opened the event and welcomed guests before Sapna Dhanani, WLWA’s Director of Finance and Corporate Resources, reflected on the creation of London’s waste disposal authorities 40 years ago and how the sector has evolved since. Her reflections highlighted the collective contribution of councils, staff, contractors and partners over the past four decades, before looking ahead to the importance of continued collaboration.

The political context was explored by Andrew Kernahan from public affairs consultancy Clarity, who gave an overview of the UK party political landscape, what the next three years may hold and what this could mean for sustainability and the waste and resources sector.

Partnership at the heart of the next 40 years

The event then moved into a panel discussion bringing together different perspectives from across the sector. Chaired by Cllr. Dominic Moffitt, the panel included Peter Tilston and Jess Murray of WLWA, Chris Whyte of Brent Council and Jo Rogers of ReLondon.

The discussion looked at the challenges and opportunities facing waste and resources over the coming years, from changing policy and technology to reuse, the circular economy and the role of partnership in delivering change.

A strong theme was the opportunity to continue changing how waste is viewed. Rather than something simply to get rid of, materials can be seen as resources with value, capable of creating environmental, social and economic benefits when they are kept in use for longer.

There was optimism too about the role of younger generations. The discussion recognised increasingly resource-aware and savvy citizens as an important force in the move towards a more circular economy.

Underlying the conversation was a recognition that the challenges facing the sector cannot be tackled by any one organisation alone. The anniversary was therefore not just an opportunity to look back at what has changed over 40 years, but to strengthen relationships between boroughs, waste disposal authorities, contractors and other partners as the sector prepares for further change.

Celebrating a shared milestone

Peter Tilston brought the formal programme towards a close with reflections on the future, before Cllr. Dominic Moffitt led a toast marking the anniversary.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate and share their perspectives, and to the boroughs, members, colleagues, contractors and partners who have been part of WLWA’s journey over the past 40 years.

As we look to the next 40, that spirit of partnership will remain essential to making the most of the opportunities ahead.