Brent residents are to be paid to recycle from home

This is the second pilot scheme which has been set up by the Greater London Authority and pays residents 10 to recycle in a bid to encourage participation and increase recycling rates in the capital.

The six-month kerbside trial covers 1,750 households in the Sudbury area of Brent. Under the initiative, each household has been given a box in which to put their recyclable goods. The boxes have been barcoded and will be scanned each week when they are emptied. The council will then be able to see which households are recycling their rubbish as residents must take part in the scheme for a minimum of three months to receive the 10 payment.

The Brent doorstep recycling scheme is a simpler initiative than the Lambeth pilot which was launched last month by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. In Lambeth residents have been given a booklet of vouchers so the council can see who is recycling and who should receive the 10 payment at the end of the trial period. Residents must place a voucher in a post box next to the recycling bins when they put their recyclables in them each week. However this scheme has caused some confusion amongst residents and the Brent scheme is likely to be more successful.

Darren Johnson said: “Londoners need to start looking more closely at the way they dispose of their rubbish. The great thing about this scheme in Brent is that disposing of your cans, newspapers, bottles and jars is as easy as putting out a bin full of non-recyclable rubbish.”

Brent Council is financing the scheme in partnership with the GLA. It is being run by Ealing-based ECT Recycling who is also running the Lambeth scheme.

Leader of Brent Council, Councillor Ann John, said: “Although over 73,000 households in Brent have green boxes, every little bit helps. Recycling is an important priority for the council, but we cannot do it alone; it has to be a partnership between the community and ourselves. We need every household to take part if we are to tackle the huge environmental problems we all face. This scheme will hopefully encourage more residents to take up recycling and that has to be welcomed.”