Could this become one of Britain's greenest railway stations?

Video report by ITV News Meridian's James Dunham

When it comes to how much waste is collected from trains, bins in the station and shops on the concourse, Brighton came out on top.

Ahead of COP26, where world leaders will discuss how to tackle climate change, rail bosses have pledged to make the station the greenest in Britain.

Before the pandemic, 650 million tonnes was generated, 12% of the overall total across the Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern network.

The problem though was that the majority of waste was not being recycled and going into landfill, but now it's all change thanks to the introduction of a unit called a Mobile Segregation Unit.

It's been placed on platform seven of the station and resembles a garden shed.

Inside, all the waste that's been collected segregate, wash, compact, bale, weigh and electronically tag all waste.

The MSU is designed to help improve Brighton's recycling rate to 95% from an average of 30% over the last year.

Since it was installed last month it has already prevented over 32 tonnes of waste going to incineration.

Donna Bryant has managed the project, she said: "When I was first introduced to the MSU concept I was blown away by the simplicity of it.

"It’s a portable recycling unit that will take contaminated waste from trains, public bins and retail stores and then separate and sort correctly.

"This means the different materials can then be collected and sent to recycling merchants to ensure the waste gets to the right people. We’re working with waste specialist The Green Block and I’ve been amazed at what they can do. 

"I, amongst many others, am concerned about the future. We need to take sustainability seriously and that means thinking about how we manage our waste. This is just the first phase of the project; we’re now exploring the next phase, which will only present us with more opportunities."

Adam Williams, co-founder of The Green Block who are behind the concept of the unit said:

"Our recycling tracking technology is leading-edge and is pivotal for companies who are steadfast in seeking to achieve their recycling ambitions.

"Our technologically-based process allows us to create a digital footprint for all producers of waste so that they can precisely measure in real-time with our innovative dashboard the source of the waste, its type and substance and weight, and ultimately its resultant recycling form."