The Recycle for Your Community scheme, being trialled between April and August 2013, involves select local groups and organisations from two areas of the Milton Keynes borough engaging directly with friends, family and neighbours to share information and collect ‘recycling pledges’ from households.
Six separate community groups from the Netherfield and Coffee Hall areas have now been recruited and given specialist training, to understand what happens to materials collected for recycling in their community.
The groups carry out a small survey with each resident to find out what they are and are not recycling, give them help and advice and collect pledges from them to recycle more. They re-contact them at a later date to monitor progress made in relation to the local recycling services available.
Financial incentives of up to £1,500 will be awarded to organisations based on the number and impact of pledges. Bonuses are given to the groups if recycling goes up and non-recyclable refuse goes down.
Andy Hudson, head of environment and waste at Milton Keynes Council, said: “Milton Keynes Council is a pioneer in recycling and we are delighted to have teamed up with Coca-Cola Enterprises to launch this ground-breaking national trial scheme.
“Local community groups are able to secure funds for their projects by encouraging their friends and neighbours to recycle more. We hope the result will be that residents in these areas have a better understanding of our recycling scheme and will contribute to raising our recycling rate further.”
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