Reduce, Reuse, Reward?

A new £2 million fund has been thrown open to local authorities with ideas for boosting recycling rates through rewards and incentives

Local authorities, entrepreneurs and community groups are being invited to take part in a Dragons’ Den-style competition to find new ways of using incentives and rewards to boost recycling rates.

Last month, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced it will provide £2 million over the next three years to kick-start the most promising projects.

It said that the cash will only go to “genuinely innovative” schemes that recognise the recycling efforts of individuals or communities and are tailored to “local situations and different collection systems and housing types”.

Potential recycling rewards could include financial incentives, vouchers, points to be redeemed at local facilities, discounts on goods and services and charitable donations.

Defra said developing such schemes can help both councils and community organisations to achieve a “win-win situation” where residents do their bit for the environment, less waste is sent to landfill and local authorities and the groups themselves benefit financially.

Parliamentary undersecretary of state Lord Henley said: “People want to do the right thing and recycle more - and local communities know what’s best to make this happen.

“I want to tap into the ideas from the best and brightest local entrepreneurs and organisations to develop exciting and innovative new ways to boost our recycling rates even further.”

Local authorities have until 26 July to bid for a share of the first £500,000 of Defra funding. The department will start advising successful bidders from 16 August.

According to Government figures, recycling rates among households and businesses have improved substantially in recent years, yet the UK still lags behind its European neighbours in cutting down the amount of refuse sent to landfill.

Data from Defra shows that around 40 per cent of household waste is currently recycled, up from just 11 per cent in 2000-01.

Elsewhere, figures from 2009 show that 52 per cent of commercial and industrial waste was recycled or reused in England. This was up from 42 per cent in 2002-03.

However, around 55 per cent of municipal waste generated in the UK is still sent to landfill sites. Across the 27 member states of the European Union, the average is 40 per cent.

The Government’s latest drive to promote recycling followed the publication in June of a comprehensive review of waste policy.

In addition to calling for incentives to boost household recycling rates, the report urged the introduction in 2012 of a restriction on the amount of wood waste that can be sent to landfill, as well as a review of whether there should be a landfill ban on materials like metals, textiles an biodegradable waste.

The Coalition also said it wanted to scrap “unfair” fines and taxes for bin waste while introducing stronger powers for dealing with fly-tippers, such as the ability to seize vehicles and making offenders clear up the mess they create.

Furthermore, the Government has committed to a consultation on increasing recycling rates for plastic, steel and aluminium from 2017. Ministers hope to have the new targets agreed in time for the 2012 Budget.

In addition, Defra has published an action plan to promote anaerobic digestion (AD) in England. This process sees micro-organisms break down organic matter into a mixture of CO2 and methane known as biogas and a nitrogenrich fertiliser called digestate.

The biogas can be used in engines for combined heat and power systems, burned to produce heat or it can be cleaned and used in the same way as natural gas or vehicle fuel.

The Government’s strategy and action plan for AD include information on its costs and benefits for local authorities and developers, evidence on the value of digestates and guidance on improving the skills and training of AD operators.

Energy and climate change minister Greg Barker said: “Letting rubbish and waste rot in landfill is madness when we can use it to power our homes and cars.

“We are already making it financially attractive to turn waste into electricity under the Feed-in Tariffs scheme and soon there’ll be similar incentives to generate heat too.

“The Anaerobic Digestion strategy and action plan will help us unlock the potential to get more energy from waste to reduce emissions in the fight against climate change.”