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M&S VOUCHERS FOR RECYCLING

Families could be given vouchers to M&S and Tesco as a reward for recycling

Tuesday November 24,2009

By Michael Pickard

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FAMILIES will get a reward of up to £130 a year for recycling their household waste under Conservative plans aimed at reversing Labour’s dustbin taxes.

Under the scheme, householders would earn points by recycling rubbish, which they would then be able to use to claim vouchers from high street retailers, including Marks & Spencer and Tesco.

The scheme, which will be announced by Shadow Chancellor George Osborne today, has already proved a success following a pilot in Berkshire.

In Windsor and Maidenhead, where trials were carried out, recycling rates rose by 30 per cent.

The idea would also cut the amount of rubbish being sent to landfill sites and reduce the levels of tax local authorities are charged for every ton of waste that is dumped.

The Conservatives believe it is this saving that would pay for the reward scheme. In his announcement today, Mr Osborne will say: “Carrots work better than sticks.

“Instead of punishing people, as Labour do with bin taxes, the Conservatives want to encourage families by paying them to recycle. This isn’t an idle promise – we’re actually making it happen on the ground in Conservative areas. Now we want to make it happen everywhere.”

The plans are to be announced as the Conservatives prepare to unveil a host of green initiatives to prove that they are leading the battle against climate change, not Labour.

Other measures in the pipeline include plans to cut carbon emissions in Britain by 10 per cent within a year and create a green investment bank.

The Tories also intend to expand the City’s environmental trading market and introduce Green ISA accounts.

M&S VOUCHERS FOR RECYCLING.

24.11.09, 8:01pm

About time, one time we used to put everything in the round black bin, which was emptied weekly. For years now we have sorted tins, glass, paper & cardboard, hedge trimings & garden waste, on top of that we have bought a composter, in which we put all veg peelings, old fruit, tea bags, weeds old bread and other biodegradeable materials. WE have for some time now been doing the jobs previously done by the Council. We also have an incinerator in which we burn old envelopes, bank statements and numerous paper items with our details on. In other words we are as green as we can be as regards to housdehold waste and very little goes to the tip. Council Tax has gone up & up, yet we are doing all this sorting, which must have saved millions for Councils. About time we got something back.

• Posted by: ramon1940 • Report Comment