Rewards for recycling - Royal Borough leads the way

More than 2,800 residents in the Royal Borough are set to reap rewards for their recycling, thanks to a pioneering pilot that is a UK first starting on Monday 1 June.

The council believes in rewarding people for their recycling, not imposing penalties. That's why it is working with waste contractor Veolia Environmental Services and award-winning RecycleBank to bring in the groundbreaking rewards scheme.

Based on the concept of 'the more you recycle, the more you earn', the scheme gives residents the opportunity to sign up for RecycleBank reward Points based on the amount they recycle and divert from landfill. The Points can then be used to buy goods and services from a wide range of local and national shops and businesses or they can be donated to charity.

The scheme - based on the successful rewards programme run by RecycleBank in the USA where it serves one million residents - will be piloted initially for three months with the council's popular green waste collection before being expanded to mixed recycling.

Cllr Liam Maxwell, lead member for sustainability, said: "I am delighted the Royal Borough is leading the way in recycling policy. The pilot gives us an excellent opportunity to test a system that rewards residents and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill. It also supports our local economy by promoting borough shops and businesses alongside big international names like M&S and Legoland."

Over the past few weeks tags in the wheelie bins used in the popular green waste scheme have been scanned by equipment in the collection vehicle. No personal identification is held - the scanner identifies the address, allocates a unique user number to the household and this is then used by residents to access, monitor and claim their reward Points.

Some 55 national and local shops and businesses have signed up to be reward partners, including the Magnet and Windsor Leisure Centres, Subway, Pizza Hut, The Tree Council's Tree Warden Scheme, Strok's restaurant and Bar and Wren's Club.

Paul Levett, deputy chief executive of Veolia Environmental Services, said they were proud to drive forward the first recycle-reward scheme in the UK: "We are confident it will help increase recycling rates and encourage other local authorities to follow suit.

"As the leading waste management company in the UK, we utilise the most progressive technologies and practices available. We are very pleased to bring RecycleBank to our local authority partners to modernise the UK's environmental practices and turn waste into a resource."

Matt Tucker, president of RecycleBank and one of the world's most eminent environmentalists, said they were excited to bring the valuable rewards scheme to the Royal Borough to increase recycling.

He said: "RecycleBank is an innovative, socially responsible company, leading the charge towards environmental change on a daily basis, while offering opportunities for residents, businesses and local authorities - big and small - to take on environmental leadership and help create significant change. We are thrilled to work with such a forward-thinking council as the Royal Borough and an innovative partner like Veolia Environmental Services."

For more information about the rewards for recycling scheme visit www.RecycleBank.com, www.veolia.co.uk or http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/recyclebank

Notes:

1. From Monday 1 June residents who choose to take part in the scheme can activate their personal RecycleBank account online or by telephone. They will get a starter bonus of 40 Points.
2. Special equipment in the collection lorry records the amount of materials collected from each participating household and this is converted into Points. Residents have the opportunity of earning up to £40 a year in rewards at participating local and national shops and businesses. There is also the option of donating Points to charities.
3. Veolia Environmental Services works in partnership with local authorities to help communities lower their impact on the environment and turn their waste into a resource.
4. RecycleBank was honoured at the United Nations 2009 Champion of the Earth Awards in April.
5. RecycleBank currently services 18 states across America and has helped city authorities dramatically increase recycling in places like New Jersey and Massachusetts.

How do you rate this information/service?