Cash rewards on offer to help reduce Sandwell waste
Communities in Sandwell are to be offered cash rewards to boost recycling under a new scheme.
The grants will be available to the community over the next two years.
The cash comes from a Government grant of £1.06 million the council secured to encourage recycling, plus funds from Serco, the council's waste partner.
Benefits from the grants could include new facilities and equipment for schools, after-school activities for children and young people, activities for older people, landscaping and planting and local events and projects.
Other projects the grant is being used for include a pilot scheme to recycle nappies and another to recycle small electrical items and batteries.
The Go Green Reward Scheme encourages people to boost their recycling rates in exchange for money to be invested in the community.
Up to £270,000 in total will be made available in reward payments.
All areas across the borough will get the chance to take part in the scheme for a four-month period during the next two years. Recycling rates in each area will be monitored during the four months.
Residents will receive details through their door when it is the turn of their area to take part.
Funds will be made available for use in the community and at nearby schools if recycling rates in the area increase during the period compared to the same period the year before.
Borough neighbourhoods boss, Councillor Ian Jones, said: "We're very happy to launch this scheme as it will help boost recycling rates in Sandwell even further.
"Our recycling rate has rocketed over the past three years – from 29 per cent to around half of all domestic waste now – and we expect to be one of the country's better performers when figures come out for 2012/13.
"This new scheme will help build on this rapid increase. It also allows us to give something back to communities where people are doing their bit to recycle as much as they can."
Sandwell's deputy council leader and chair of the waste partnership, Councillor Steve Eling, said: "The new scheme rewards areas and communities, rather than individuals, for their work to boost recycling and will help raise awareness of the value of recycling.
"There are lots of good environmental reasons in addition to good financial arguments.
"Landfill tax – which we pay for every tonne of waste that is not recycled – is going up again in April by £8 per ton – to £72 per ton – so every extra ton we can recycle and is diverted from landfill will save the council taxpayer the payment of this tax."