Agenda item

As requested by the Panel at its last meeting, a progress update in respect of the Recycling Incentive Scheme will be provided.

Claire Lewis, Waste Disposal and Recycling Manager, gave a presentation on the Recycling Incentive Scheme.

Participation in kerbside recycling was currently at 75% and 10% of the waste in the average green landfill bin was recyclable in a blue bin. 16% of what was being collected as recycling was currently contaminants and improvements in all of these areas would save costs.

Residents would need to have an e+ card to take part in the scheme as this would act as the reward card. Residents would be able to sign up to the scheme online and could apply for a card if needed at the same time. An activation pack would be sent out about the scheme once registered. An electronic tag on each blue bin would be read by the reader on the truck as the bin was emptied and the points credited to the registered address.

The data collected resulted in the account of the participating resident being credited with 200 points for each correct recycling collection. Residents could go online and log into their account to see how many points they had collected and what rewards were available. This could also be done over the phone or face to face at a council building and some of the leisure sites. To redeem points to get a reward the points were deducted from the e+ card.

One of the key features of this scheme was that it would be accessible to all households in the borough. Flats and properties where blue bins were shared by more than one household could sign up to the scheme. All shared bins would have the tags on before registration began.

If collection crews found contaminants before emptying a bin, it would not be emptied. If contaminants were found as the recycling was being tipped into the truck this could be noted in the system to stop the resident getting any points. In both cases a bin would be stickered so the resident knew why they had not been awarded any points for that recycling collection.

The rewards on offer for the beginning of the scheme were mainly leisure and library related, there were also some green rewards such as water butts and composters. The scheme was a two year pilot funded by a grant with conditions. Communication about the scheme was due to start the week beginning 4 February 2013. There would be training and briefings for collection crews, customer services and leisure front facing staff.

In response to Members’ questions, the following points were made:

• The electronic tag on each blue bin would be related to a specific property registered with the recycling scheme. Tags would only be sent to those who registered.
• 200 points was the equivalent of £1 but had no cash value.
• Contamination would be identified at the source and at the end point of recycling.
• The scheme was based on participation and not the weight of recycling.
• The scheme would mainly be run electronically with residents registered online.
• The rewards with the recycling scheme were to encourage a change in behaviour and for people to be more active.
• Residents could opt out of the scheme after registration if they wished.
• There was a knowledge issue regarding recycling correctly and bottles were the only plastics which could be recycled locally. Butter cartons and drinks cartons were not recyclable. However, some plastics did have a high energy value when incinerated with landfill to create energy from waste.
• Some supermarkets were trying to improve their packaging in relation to information regarding what was recyclable but councils all had different recycling schemes with different coloured recycling bins.
• The Recycling Scheme would be reviewed in two years when the pilot had finished or before this if appropriate and the evaluation brought back before the Panel.