Recycling incentives on the way

A series of pilot schemes designed to offer incentives for households across England to recycle more waste have been announced this week, in a bid to change attitudes on the issue. Around fifty schemes around the country will be launched, ranging from cash awards, vouchers and lotteries to league tables and scratchcards for regular recyclers.

"Getting people to change their behaviour is a challenge, and recycling is no exception. While there are millions of dedicated recyclers, there are still many families and people who have yet to start recycling regularly,” commented Local Environmental Quality Minister, Ben Bradshaw.

"We want to find new ways to encourage these people to start recycling and help regular recyclers by making it easier for them to fit recycling into their lives."

Recent forecast figures from Defra show that households currently recycle around 23% of their waste.