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Tower Hamlets council this week launched the ambitious scheme, which aims to ensure that every last scrap of waste - from carrot tops to polystyrene and fish heads to plastic bags - is recycled. It follows a successful three-month pilot scheme, and council bosses say it may now be rolled out to the other nine markets in the borough.

"We have pulled out all the stops to make Whitechapel market the first to recycle 100% of the waste it generates," said Cllr Abdul Ullah, lead member for cleaner, safer, greener (environmental services). The scheme has won the support of stallholders who are now responsible for putting their recyclables in the correct recycling bin.

Cllr Ullah added:
"We are very pleased that they have fully supported what we are trying to do here.

"Markets by their very nature can create a lot of waste, when you take into account things like packaging and food products with a relatively short shelf life. We have introduced a number of new ways that all this can be recycled and we are very excited that none of the market waste will be sent to landfill."

Each of the market's 80 stallholders has been allocated specific numbered recycling bins which will be  locked overnight to prevent them from being misused by local businesses or residents. Separate bins have been provided for food waste which will be collected twice a day to prevent contamination of other recycling materials – something that has proved to be a problem in the past. The long-established east London market has more than 80 colourful stalls and is famed for its wide range of produce including fruits, vegetables, fish, spices, fabrics and electrical goods.