Defra incentive schemes improve recycling (16.08.06)
Millions more people have been encouraged to recycle thanks to a series of incentive schemes funded by a £3.5 million Defra grant.
Fifty three pilots were run by local authorities across England to encourage residents to reduce, re-use and recycle their waste.
Individual prizes such as money, energy efficient goods and a holiday were offered in some schemes, while communities were rewarded with funding for local initiatives and environmental improvements in others.
The tonnage of collected recyclables increased in more than half the areas, whereas others considerably reduced their contamination rates.
Other pilots targeted waste reduction and encouraging re-use. Some of the trials led to enthusiastic recycling community champions and a range of voluntary community groups.
“We've trebled recycling since 1997 – but we're going to have to do much better still if we are to tackle climate change and avoid huge fines for breaking European landfill limits,” said Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw.
“We are all going to have to change our behaviour radically and these incentive schemes show it's possible.”
The pilots looked at a number of incentives geared towards specific barriers - recycling the wrong things, not recycling at all, and using local services such as bottle banks more frequently.
Some of the highlights included:
A competition between schools in County Durham to recycle the most waste that increased tonnage by 13%. The top recyclers were awarded equipment for schools such as laptops.Residents in Hampshire who recycled properly and put the right waste in the right bins were rewarded with vouchers to local attractions. This resulted in a 50% reduction in the number of households putting the wrong things in their recycling bins.The most popular schemes were those that offered lottery style prize draws. One lucky Exeter resident won an environmentally friendly car.The Government is looking at a range of options to help the UK meet tough European targets to divert more waste away from landfill.
By 2010, biodegradable waste going to landfill must only make up 75% of the amount produced in 1995. By 2013, it should represent 50%, and by 2020 only 35%.
Higher recycling rates will go a long way to achieving those targets. Local authorities already have powers to offer incentives for households that recycle and to require householders to separate their waste for recycling