Reward and recognition schemes to encourage recycling and waste reduction cannot be seen as a quick fix, according to a report commissioned by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The report Evaluation of the Waste Reward and Recognition Scheme: Emerging findings states that reward schemes require careful consideration, time and investment, especially if they are not only meant to be successful, but also to demonstrate their success and impact.
The aim of the interim report, carried out by consultancy Brooke Lyndhurst and published last month, was to evaluate the success and cost efficiency of the eight reward and recognition projects funded by Defras Reward and Recognition Scheme.
Up to 2 million was made available to 28 pilot projects between 2011 and 2013, with Brooke Lyndhurst commissioned as the schemes research and evaluation partner.
Originally announced in the Waste Review in June 2011 which pledged to support initiatives which reward and recognise people who do the right thing to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste Defra said scheme funding would only be allocated to genuinely innovative projects (see letsrecycle.com story).
The report found that while rewards and recognition for the likes of reuse, recycling or composting have the potential to improve peoples existing behaviour, such schemes are less likely to act as a catalyst for new behaviours.
The report states: Across the schemes, improvements in recycling and reuse tended to be linked to better services and promotion rather than being attributable directly to the rewards.
‘Across the schemes, improvements in recycling and reuse tended to be linked to better services and promotion rather than being attributable directly to the rewards’
Defra report
Projects
The eight projects assessed in the report were undertaken by: Aire Valley Recycling, Bradford; Bath and North East Somerset council; Birmingham city council; Gloucestershire Waste Partnership; Norfolk county council; the National Union of Students; Preen Community Interest Company, Bedfordshire; and Westminster city council.
In total, around 15,000 households and 11,300 individuals participated in the eight projects. The rewards and recognition offered through the reuse and recycling projects also varied considerably and included Nectar points, vouchers, DVD rental and community funding.
According to the report, an increase in recycling and reuse tonnages collected was observed in five of the eight projects, with those targeting reuse in particular achieving higher changes in tonnages.
But, the report concludes that it is not certain to what extent the increases can be attributed to the reward and recognition elements of the projects.
It adds: Schemes made participants feel that recycling and reuse was the right thing to do and showed participants that their efforts were appreciated. For some it also acted as a reminder that more things could be recycled and reused which links back to the importance of on-going feedback and communications.
However, the report adds that it is not advisable to draw definitive results and conclusions from its findings, especially with regard to the sustainability and cost effectiveness of schemes.
It states: When further schemes have been assessed it is hoped that firmer conclusions can be drawn.
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