Innovation & Ecology – a place of creativity and big thinking
Whether it's how you heat your home, or dispose of your rubbish, how you travel to work, or where your food comes from, Barking Riverside is redefining conventions.
This is a place where people are inspired by a new way of thinking and living, fit for a changing world.
The aim is to make Barking Riverside a better place to live now and long into the future by adopting and supporting initiatives that reflect the needs of our rapidly changing world. It is a place where residents are actively encouraged to participate and contribute to a better future.
Envac
Barking Riverside is home to one of the largest automated waste collection systems in Europe
The system, called Envac, provides residents with cleaner and quieter streets, free from overflowing bins and polluting waste collection trucks. Overall, it reduces waste vehicle-related carbon emissions by at least 90%, for a cleaner and greener way to dispose of rubbish.
Barking Riverside joins cities such as Stockholm, Bergen, Oslo, Paris, Milan and Barcelona in offering this forward thinking recycling system.
The Wilds at Barking Riverside
The Wilds is a new multi-purpose community, ecology and event space, open to the public since Summer 2021. The building hosts the GROUNDED coffee shop, a cooperative set up by local people. It is also home to the UK headquarters of Swedish company Envac, which manages the innovative vacuum waste disposal system across Barking Riverside.
The Wilds includes a variety of spaces that are available for public and private events, including a sunken garden. Co-working desks can be hired Monday to Friday, perfect for working-from-home days.
The Wilds regularly hosts workshops and events, find out more here.
Ecology
Barking Riverside includes over 80 hectares of land designated as being of high ecological value. A pioneering scheme is in place to protect and regenerate the rich wildlife found here, which includes rare birds, seals, water voles and notable plant species.
District heating
The latest homes to be built at Barking Riverside utilise an extensive low carbon District Heating Network, which is an environmentally friendly alternative to installing individual gas boilers. This means that heat & hot water is locally generated and can be delivered to homes through a buried network of highly insulated pipes.
Green transport
There is an extensive network of cycle paths across the development as well as Dr Bike, a Cycle Hub sharing scheme that provides a free repair service.
There are plans for a 5-mile Cycle Route that will allow cyclists to connect from Ilford to Barking Riverside. Barking and Dagenham Council recently completed work on a greenway that allows pedestrians and cyclists to get from Barking Riverside to neighbouring Thames View via an off-road route.
In addition to cycling, Enterprise Car Club provide shared vehicles for residents and businesses, and more than 20% of the parking spaces at Barking Riverside are fitted with electric vehicle charging points.
