Recycling rewards scheme launched in Havering

Around 100,000 households in the London Borough of Havering could benefit from a 1 million recycling rewards scheme which was officially launched today (January 13).

Over the next six weeks, every household in the borough will received an activation pack for the new London Green Points Havering scheme, which will see residents collecting points for recycling on their London Green Points cards.

Green Points can then be donated to 11 local charity and community projects or spent on more than 1,000 products, vouchers and experiences, which have been vetted by an independent Sustainability Advisory Panel.

The scheme is being operated as part of a five-year contract worth 999,728 awarded by the borough council to Local Green Points a limited liability partnership run by sustainable rewards company Green Rewards in November 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story).

A 1,008,557 weekly collections support grant awarded to Havering council by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in November 2012 as part of the governments Weekly Waste Collection Fund will cover the cost of the rewards scheme (see letsrecycle.com story).

In order to start earning points for recycling more, residents must first activate their card either online, on the phone, or by a freepost envelope included in the activation pack.

According to Local Green Points, door-to-door teams will be out in Havering from the end of January to assist residents in activating their accounts, although people without access to the internet can also set up offline accounts.

Progress

Havering borough councillor Barry Tebbutt, cabinet member for environment, said: This is a great new scheme that sets us apart as the only borough in London thats rewarding residents for reducing, reusing and recycling their rubbish.

Weve made great progress in recent years in this area and this scheme will help us to get even better at protecting the environment. I really hope people get involved as much as they can and activate their cards as soon as they come through their doors.

The Havering scheme is the fifth operated by Local Green Points in the UK, following similar incentive schemes launched by: Rother district council; the royal borough of Greenwich council; and Gloucester county council in partnership with Cheltenham borough council.

The first incentive scheme organised by Local Green Points in the UK was launched in the London borough of Bexley for residents living in flats in October 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story), for which initial funding came from the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB).

The charity partners of the London Green Points Havering scheme are: 7th Hornchurch Scout Group, Friends of Bedfords Park, Friends of Cottons Park, Harold Hill Foodbank, Havering Family Diabetes Group, Havering Mind, Motorvations, Saint Francis Hospice and Thames Chase Trust.