A deal between Veolia Environmental Services and RecycleBank could see Scotland make its targets of 50% recycling by 2013 and 70% by 2025, according to the businesses.

The two companies introduced the ‘carrot-not-the-stick’ approach to household recycling at the Scottish Waste & Resources Conference in Glasgow yesterday (October 6).

Paul Levett, deputy chief executive of Veolia and Sue Igoe, managing director of RecycleBank used the show to propose the scheme to Scotland for the first time in a bid to help local authorities maximise recycling performance and so make landfill tax cost savings.

RecycleBank schemes have been launched in the boroughs of Halton and Windsor & Maidenhead have already seen the weight of recyclates collected increase by 60% and 35% respectively with householders having the opportunity to earn points worth, on average, £135 a year.

London mayor Boris Johnson has expressed an interest in the scheme, however Wales’ environment minister Jane Davidson ruled out the idea earlier this year.

Paul Levett said: “We already have plans to strengthen our presence in Scotland from our Grangemouth HQ and are fully aware of the Scottish Government’s policy for Zero Waste Scotland and its linkage with the waste and climate change agendas.

“This conference represents an excellent opportunity to promote a new approach to recycling which offers the opportunity for major increases in landfill diversion and is clearly preferable to punitive penalty regimes.”

Luke Walsh

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