Rubbish and recycling: Residents in Bristol are to trial a scheme which rewards those who recycle more waste
Residents in three areas of Bristol are to trial a scheme which the city council hopes will provide a cash incentive for households that produce less black bag waste.
More than 2,000 homes in Bishopston, Cotham and Redland will be encouraged to recycle more of their rubbish – and could earn up to £40 a year, depending on how much they reduce their general waste.
Residents who volunteer for the trial would be issued with a chipped wheelie bin. Collection vehicles would be fitted with weighing equipment so that they can weigh the bins each week and record the weight on specialist software.
The amount of waste residents need to reduce by will be calculated in kilograms and worked out per person, to take into account the number of people living in a household.
Explaining how the proposed payment scheme could work, a council spokesman said: “We are looking at an incentive of 50 pence for each kg saved, up to a maximum of £17.50 per person per year. This could equate to around £30 to £40 per household depending on how much they reduce their waste by.”
The final figures have not been agreed yet though, as discussions with central government are yet to take place.
Bristol City Council will take a formal proposal to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) next Monday to seek funding and support for the scheme – the first authority in the UK to introduce such a plan.
The city has set itself a target of recycling 50% of its waste by the end of this year, and Councillor Gary Hopkins, cabinet member for environment and community safety, said he was keen to start the trial as quickly as possible.
“Bristol already has a first-class reputation for waste reduction and recycling and … we are predicting our waste to be nearly 23,000 tonnes less than in 2004/05 – saving £4 million of public money.
“This scheme will encourage residents to think about what they are throwing away and act as a thank you to those who help us by reducing their waste.
“It will be completely voluntary, so people only sign up to it if they want to take part. There will be no penalty for participants who don’t manage to reduce their waste, and our officers will obviously be able to give them advice on how to reduce and recycle further.
“With a new waste contract due to begin in 2011, we are keen to proceed with this scheme quickly as the pilot will help us and potential contractors work out how a wider voluntary scheme could fit into the new contract.
“It is the first reward scheme of its kind in the UK and we believe that, with financial backing from the government, Bristol is the right place to make it a success.”