Havering London borough council is urging residents to redeem their rewards for reducing waste, as the borough prepares to withdraw from the London Green Points Recycling Scheme.
According to the council, this is due to the authority not having the costs and resources in place to keep a campaign such as this running.
The London borough of Havering is sited in East London, with a population of around 240,000
Residents who are part of London Green Points – Havering waste minimisation scheme are being encouraged to spend or donate their ‘Green Points’ before the scheme comes to an end in October this year (2018).
Rewards
The scheme was introduced to encourage recycling and minimise general waste to reduce the cost of disposing of household waste in the borough.
It rewards residents with ‘Green Points’ for minimising the amount of waste they throw away and recycling more. These points can be either be spent in the Green Rewards eShop, on rewards such as an M&S voucher or can be donated to nine local charities in the Borough as well as to a Local Schools’ Fund. Residents who are members of the scheme also receive a discount card for taking part, which entitles them to unique offers and discounts at over 100 local businesses.
Since the scheme launched in January 2014, Local Green Points, the company behind London Green Points – Havering, said it has helped make the borough “greener” and rewarded individuals and the local community for taking part.
Over 25,000 residents in the borough are signed up to the scheme, and over £17,500 has been donated to 11 local charity partners, it says. Around 121 local business partners are also signed up to the scheme.
Funding
When contacted by letsrecycle.com, a spokesperson for the council explained that the scheme was externally funded through the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) for the duration of 5 years (including set up time). The five years ends this October and therefore so does the funding.
“Unfortunately, there has not been any further funding available to keep the scheme running, nor is there any subsequent scheme arranged to replace it due to the costs and resources involved in maintaining this type of campaign,” the council spokesperson added.
The five-year contract, worth £999,728, was 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).
Former Secretary of State for Communities Eric Pickles, assessing the borough of Havering’s recycling rewards scheme in 2015
A 1,008,557 weekly collections support grant awarded to Havering council by the DCLG in November 2012 as part of the governments Weekly Waste Collection Fund covered the cost of the rewards scheme (see letsrecycle.com story).
‘Delighted’
Councillor Osman Dervish, cabinet member for environment said: “We are delighted with the results from the London Green Points scheme and the positive impact it has had on the local environment here in Havering, in particular with the charity donations.
“A big thank you and congratulations to all our residents who have taken part and for all they have achieved.”
Graham Simmonds, managing director at Local Green Points added: “It has been a pleasure working with Havering Council, using our innovative online solution to motivate residents to recycle more and reward them for doing so. Our use of individual and community rewards with fun, useful home activities has proved extremely successful with our local authority partners to encourage recycling in their local area.
“We look forward to seeing the results from London Green Points – Havering when it comes to a close in October. Well done to everyone who has taken part.”
Scheme
The Havering scheme was the fifth to be set up by Local Green Points in the UK. 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).
A spokesperson for Local Green Points said the company is currently operating recycling schemes with eight London boroughs, and running five resident engagement schemes.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
