Leader of Portsmouth City Council Gerald Vernon-Jackson and the Lord Mayor Lynne Stagg.

Portsmouth residents could receive up to £250 in cash as part of a new council-run initiative aimed at raising the area’s recycling rate.

The ‘BIG Recycling’ prize draw, launched today (30 September) by Portsmouth City Council, has been set up using £557,000 of government money, following the award of £1.4 million to Portsmouth Council from the Department for Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) Weekly Collection Support Scheme (WCSS).

At just 23 per cent, Portsmouth’s recycled waste ratio is one of the lowest in the country. It is hoped that the ‘BIG Recycling’ incentive scheme could help raise this to 30 per cent, and generate an additional £150,000 for the council, through the sale of recyclable goods.

Reforming Practices

The ‘BIG Recycle’ rewards residents for being ‘good recyclers’ through a monthly prize draw. By registering online, residents are automatically entered into a ‘random prize draw’ in which they could win the top prize of £250 cash, one of 20 £75 cash prizes or one of 60 £25 Love2choose vouchers (redeemable at selected high-street stores). Alternatively households can choose to donate the prize to the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, which will be raising money in 2013/14 for three charities: Brain Tumour Research, Young Carers, and an Environmental Study Centre at Baffins Pond.

Once chosen in the draw, Portsmouth City Council will send one of its recycling officers to the winner’s home to ensure that they are recycling ‘at least’ three of the six potential recycling streams (plastic bottles, drinks cans, food tins, aerosols, paper, and cardboard) and are not putting any items in the recycling bin that cannot be recycled by the council, such as glass and rigid plastics.

If a household happens to win the draw, but doesn’t qualify for the prize, then they will be informed they haven't won on that occasion and given a reason why, in the hopes that they will improve their recycling standards. The council has said that as households go into the draw every month, there is the possibility of previously selected winners being drawn again.

A pack will be sent out to residents explaining how the scheme will operate and reminding residents what can and can't be recycled via the kerbside.

It is hoped that the scheme will establish good recycling practice, raise awareness about recycling and the different material streams that can be recycled, and motivate residents to recycle more.

‘Environmental and economic benefits’

Speaking of the new scheme, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said: "We are committed to keeping the weekly refuse collection but we are having to find savings across the council, so it is important that we maximise savings from recyclable materials to protect important services. Our rate is currently low so there is lots of potential to improve, which will not only benefit the environment but will help make savings.

"I encourage all residents to register for the Portsmouth BIG Recycle, make sure they recycle everything they can and then they could be rewarded."

Find out more about the ‘BIG Recycle’ prize draw.