Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead recycling reward-scheme praised

A council-wide recycling reward scheme in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has been praised.

The scheme started off as a pilot and is now being rolled out across the council, as the right way to encourage households to recycle waste.

The ground-breaking loyalty card style scheme will reward 60,000 households who volunteer to participate with points worth up to £135 a year, at no cost to other residents, from over 116 UK reward partners, including Marks and Spencer, Coffee Republic and Cineworld.

Points can be redeemed for rewards like money off products and services from participating local and national reward partners including retailers and service providers, or donated to local schools.

The scheme would save money by transferring recyclables away from expensive landfill by increasing recycling volumes and supporting the local businesses involved in the reward scheme.

Households volunteer to activate a RecycleBank account and then receive a new, blue wheelie recycling bin for their mixed waste.

They will earn points for how much they recycle, rewarding households 5.5 points for each kilogram the household recycles.

Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: "Windsor and Maidenhead Council have got it right by rewarding people for voluntarily doing the right thing not penalising them for doing the wrong thing."

Further information:
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council