St John the Evangelist church in Brixton has installed a special bin with the slogan "Get a life, bin that knife."
Vicar of the church on the edge of Angell Town, Rosemarie Mallett, said: "We've had plenty of knives and shanks [homemade knives with cloth handles] of all sizes dropped in the bin, but not as many as we hoped.
"It's a shame because knife crime claims lives every year.
"Our young people have so much potential."
"Last year we sent five from Angell Town to university, but for some kids the gang is all they have," she said, speaking in The Metro.
"Our young people have so much potential.
"Last year we sent five from Angell Town to university, but for some kids the gang is all they have.
"We've got to bring social activities and life on to this estate otherwise all you've got is young people feeling locked out and alienated."
