Free papers 'clog up underground'

Maintenance firm Tube Lines said they are having to deal with a 43% rise in newspaper waste on its section of the Tube network in the last two weeks.

London Lite was launched in August and Thelondonpaper followed a week later, both targeting commuters.

Green campaigners called on the newspaper publishers to help with clearing up abandoned papers.

More than 16 tonnes of rubbish is collected from the Underground every day.

Charity donations

Tube Lines said the amount of paper waste being collected on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines had risen from 3.5 tonnes to almost five tonnes a day.

A spokeswoman said: "This of course means there is 43% more recyclable waste, for which we receive payment which is passed on through Tube Lines' annual charity donations."

Fellow maintenance firm Metronet said it would be focussing on "litter hot-spots" on its share of the network.

"The new free evening newspapers have increased litter on trains and at stations," said a Metronet spokesman.

Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the London Assembly called on the newspaper publishers to do more.

She said: "Either people have got to be responsible by bringing them out and putting them into recycling bins or the newspaper company itself really ought to make sure there are people picking up those newspapers."

News International, publishers of thelondonpaper, said its distributors are paid to clear the area where they give out the paper.

It said it encourages people to take their paper home or dispose of it responsibly.

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Tube Lines
Metronet
Thelondonpaper
Evening Standard/London Lite
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