Defra announced today that it is inviting council bids for a share of 5 million to set up pilot schemes offering householders financial rewards for taking part in recycling and waste minimisation schemes.
Examples of schemes that local authorities might propose include:
- Cash discounts or council tax rebates for recyclers
- Prize draws offering recyclers the chance to win prizes
- Cash back incentives (such as for real nappy use)
- Cash rewards (e.g. “cash for trash” schemes)
- Cash discounts (such as subsidised compost bins)
- Community rewards (e.g. tree planted per tonne of recyclate
collected) - Charitable donations (e.g. reward or donation to schools per tonne of recyclate collected)
Defra is aiming to see trials run from October 2005 in different areas of the country and by different types of authority, “targeting individual householders and the wider local community”.
”Not only will this give us a better understanding at national level of what influences behaviour to help with future policy in this area, it will also help individual councils find the right option.“
– Elliot Morley
The Department said testing the effectiveness of a variety of incentive scheme would provide evidence for future national policy, as well as in providing guidance on best practice for local authorities.
Environment minister Elliot Morley said: “By trialling new and innovative incentives, and monitoring and evaluating the success of existing schemes, the household incentive pilot will enable us to highlight good practice and what works best in local circumstances, and identify the costs and benefits associated with different schemes.”
Understanding
The minister went on: “Not only will this give us a better understanding at national level of what influences behaviour to help with future policy in this area, it will also help individual councils find the right option for them as part of their overall strategy for managing waste more sustainably.”
Mr Morley said England would not meet its waste targets – including the target to recycle 25% of household waste by 2005/06 – without every household playing their part. He added that he hoped councils would with together with private sector partners, the community sector and local media outlets to help influence householder behaviour on recycling.
Applications
Local authorities are being encouraged to work together at regional level to co-ordinate proposals, before submitting to Defra a brief description of proposed pilot projects.
Defra said councils should clearly set out their target community, what the pilot is intended to achieve, how its success will be measured and what level of financial support is being sought.
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There is no minimum or maximum support level that authorities can apply for, Defra said. But, funding will not go towards capital costs of new equipment or infrastructure – grants will cover administration costs, a “proportion” of householder incentives, an “enhancement to existing collection infrastructure” and the monitoring and evaluation of the pilot scheme.
The deadline for applications is July 1, 2005, with councils expected to be informed of Defra's decision by August. Further details on how to apply and related conditions is available online at the Defra website.
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