The mass of paper, which is the equivalent of almost 2,000 trees, has been collected after Westminster council brokered a deal between Associated Newspapers and NI Free Newspapers Ltd that saw the two rival publishers jointly pay for the installation and emptying of 70 recycling bins.
Councillor Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for environment and transport, said the agreement with the two publishers was making a "tangible difference to the cleanliness of the streets of Westminster".
The bins have been installed in four key areas across the West End and have so far collected a massive 120 tonnes of paper. This is in addition to the 465 tonnes collected in Westminster's own 153 on-street recycling bins during the same time period.
The recycling agreement was brokered after Westminster Council threatened to "severely curtail" the distribution of thelondonpaper and London Lite in certain parts of the West End due to the sheer quantity of waste they were generating.
The council has carried out periodic studies of street litter across Westminster since the introduction of the free evening newspapers. It says the highest concentration of newspaper waste is found across the West End where it accounts for 24% of all street waste.
London freesheet recycling scheme bags 120 tonnes of waste
A recycling scheme imposed by Westminster Council on the publishers of London's two free evening newspapers has already dealt with more than 100 tonnes of paper, despite only being in operation since January.
