RBWM Rewards Scheme Launched

RECYCLING REWARDS FOR ALL GETS THE GREEN LIGHT:  The first local authority in the UK to offer rewards for recycling to all its residents is launching on Monday 7 June with an invitation to more than 60,000 households to join the innovative RecycleBank service.  

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s new mixed waste service will be operated by contractor, Veolia Environmental Services, and will make recycling much easier for residents. All paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars and metal can now be placed in a single blue wheelie bin instead of different boxes. The blue bins will be arriving automatically, replacing the balck and purple boxes. The following link provides answers to frequently asked questions - http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/wm_recyclebank_faqs_26627.htm

Households will be awarded points for the amount they recycle, which they can then redeem for discounts and offers at more than 100 local and national retail outlets, restaurants and leisure facilities, or donated to local schools. Residents who would like further information or to activate and view their RecycleBank account should visit www.RecycleBank.com or call the customer service team on 0800 077 6009..................

Windsor MP Adam Afriyie and representatives from the council, RecycleBank and Veolia Environmental Services, were joined by residents and reward partners (Marks & Spencer, Boyne Hill Primary School and Windsor Leisure Centre) to launch the new programme at Windsor Royal Shopping.  

Cllr Liam Maxwell, the Royal Borough’s lead member for policy and performance, commented: “Paying the public to recycle works – it increases recycling rates, reduces our environmental impact, reduces council tax and helps local businesses. The results of our trial with 6,000 local homes far exceeded our expectations.

“Our policy is to put residents first: we believe that incentives not penalties are the best way of encouraging every resident to recycle more, and more frequently. This reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and brings economic benefits for our local businesses in these difficult times.”

The mixed waste recycling service will be rolled out in phases across the entire borough from now until early in 2011 following the successful six month trial. Some 70% of residents on the trial scheme have activated their RecycleBank accounts and earned over six million points so far, increasing the total amount recycled in the participating households by 35%.

Sue Igoe, UK managing director of RecycleBank added: “The Royal Borough is leading the way for other local authorities across the UK to show how incentives can increase recycling rates. By rewarding positive behaviour, the council is encouraging its residents to recycle more and save money on their weekly shop.

“It is fantastic to see so many local businesses in the Royal Borough getting involved. With 78% of reward partners being from the local area, and a great mix of national partners, there really is a reward for everyone. We want to see more residents redeeming their well-earned rewards, saving them money on everyday items.”

Paul Levett, deputy chief executive for Veolia Environmental Services (UK) plc, said: “The single blue bin for recycling materials makes this a genuinely easy, convenient and rewarding experience for households. This is vital to ensure that participation and recycling rates grow and remain high for the long term.”

There is no change to the normal weekly waste collection routine for Windsor and Maidenhead residents. All households in the mixed recycling service will just need to empty their recyclable materials into the blue bin and put it out for collection on the usual day. There is no charge to householders for the RecycleBank scheme

The scheme works by fitting electronic tags to the bins with the weight recorded by equipment in the collection vehicles. No personal data is held in the system and residents themselves choose if they want to take part by voluntarily activating their secure RecycleBank account, either online or by phone.

A survey of residents taking part in the pilot scheme showed that 78% felt rewards were a good reason to recycle and 93% said they would recommend RecycleBank to their friends and family.

Residents who would like further information or to activate and view their RecycleBank account should visit www.RecycleBank.com or call the customer service team on 0800 077 6009.

USEFUL FACTS

How many households are participating in the program?

•    On 7th June 2010 the RecycleBank service was launched to 60,000 households in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.  

•    There will be a phased roll out to all properties between June 2010 and January 2011.

How does the trial work?

•    With RecycleBank, you earn points for how much you recycle, similar to airline miles for flying.

•    Participating households will recycle their mixed waste using their new blue wheelie recycling bin equipped with an ID tag which matches the bin to the household address and account number.  Households choosing to activate their accounts voluntarily are then eligible to earn and redeem their points for recycling.

•    Veolia Environmental Services collection vehicles have been fitted with technology that identifies the bin and awards the household with RecycleBank Points. No other information is stored on the tag. The points are deposited into the resident’s personal RecycleBank.com account.

•    Every time a household presents its blue wheelie bin for collection, the recycled content will be weighed and RecycleBank will reward households 5.5 points for each kilo (kg) the household recycles.  

•    Materials which can be deposited into the mixed recycling blue wheelie bin include: all aluminium / steel food and drink cans and aerosols; newspapers and magazines, catalogues, directories, cereal packets, envelopes, junk mail, cards, office paper, brochures, cardboard and cardboard egg boxes; all glass bottles and jars; and plastic bottles.

•    Operatives are trained to monitor recycling collections for potential contamination.

•    In the unlikely event of potential contamination, e.g. putting heavy items in bins to boost weight, a capping system is in place.

•    In the UK, households can earn, on average, £135 per annum in rewards value.

•    Points can be redeemed for rewards from participating local and national reward partners including retailers and service providers, or donated to local schools.

•    Redeeming points is just like shopping online. Members can log into their account through RecycleBank.com to view the number of points they have and the rewards they can redeem them for. Members can also redeem through the free Customer Care number, 0800 077 6009.

•    The RecycleBank programme is free for residents of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.


Where can households redeem their points in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead?

RecycleBank currently has 116 UK reward partners, including major retailers and brands such as M&S, Coffee Republic and Cineworld.  Households can use their points to obtain reward vouchers for money off products and services at the following Royal Borough rewards partners:

Aura Spa; Being Content; Creative Hair And Wear; Edun; Eliska Beauty; Essensuals; Fleurop.co.uk; Holistic World; Nail & Bodyzone; Perfume.com; Salon Glavina; Square Roots Hair; Salon; The Beauty Room; Wren's Club; Eton Vintners; The Wine Shop; Rhodale; Boden; Ex;  Foam Fashion; KidsTastik; Noa Noa; SimpleShoes.com; The Eton T Shirt Co; Boyne Hill Primary School; Dedworth Middle School; Fairtrade; Together; Tree Warden Scheme By The Tree Council; Audio Venue; Domesco; Bush Theatre; Cineworld; Odeon; Shepherds Of Ascot; Wooldridge And Sleep; Pink and Brown; Costcutter; Gabriel Machin; Maidenhead Farmers Market; Marks & Spencer; Premier; Vom Fass; Beds Are UZZZ; D Martin Shoe Repairs; Daniels Stores; J. Manley Gallery; Lakes; Mainly Curtain & Blinds; Maxwells; Rhubarb & Custard; Security Centre; Sunninghill Carpets; The Barker Gallery; The Circle Gallery; The Framing Company; Windsor Contemporary Art Fair; British Gas; East To West; Jam Eton; Boo!; Legoland;
Better World Books; Sheargolds; Cartridge World; Snappy Snaps; 1st Success; Byron's Of Windsor; Classic Cleaners; Vision Express; Ascot Spices; Asiana Spice; B' Bar & Kitchen; Bar 1; BB's Coffee And Muffins; Bloc Coffees; Cafe 78; Castello; Cattle Grid; Ciao 90; Coffee Republic;
Cornucopia Bistro; Costa Coffee; Eat Dirt; Echo Bar & Kitchen; Forno; Jagz Ascot; Jamuna Tandoori; Kebab King; Mcdonalds; Mezzaluna; Munchies; Papa Johns Pizza; Pizza Hut Delivery; Saffron; Strok's Restaurant & Bar; Subway Maidenhead; Subway Windsor; The Argyll; The Chocolate Theatre Company; The Christopher Hotel Bar & Grill; The Himalayan Tandoori;
POM Wonderful; Ascot Golf Club; Cyclelife; Datchet Golf Club; Dna Cycles; Magnet Leisure Centre; South Lodge Hotel;  The Fitness Space; Windsor Leisure Centre; Aquatic Element; Cliff Roe Sports; Curves Fitness For Women; Curves Of Windsor; Specialist Travel Ltd.

Do households need to sort recyclables before RecycleBank accepts them?

RecycleBank and VES use single-stream recycling which means that all mixed recyclables (see above) can be placed in one bin without sorting.  For more information about what can be recycled, go to www.rbwm/gov.uk/web/wm_recyclebank.htm.

How do Royal Borough residents become RecycleBank members?

To learn more about how to sign up for the RecycleBank service, visit www.RecycleBank.com or call the free customer helpline number on 0800 077 6009.

Is RecycleBank for profit?

Yes. RecycleBank is built on the idea that environmental solutions provide economic opportunities. Our goal is to increase recycling, reduce landfill needs, cut disposal costs and build local economies. It is our belief that a company can do well by doing good.


How does the Royal Borough benefit by partnering with RecycleBank?

The Royal Borough benefits from partnering with RecycleBank by:

•    Saving money through “landfill diversion” – or transferring recyclables away from the
costly waste disposal stream and into a separate recycling stream.

•    Taking a leading role in responsible recycling and caring for the environment.

•    Supporting residents so that they can play their part to help the environment.

•    Providing a rewards programme for mixed recyclables that gives meaningful
savings direct to its residents.

•    Rewarding residents with points that can be used in local businesses, in turn
stimulating local economic development while increasing recycling volumes.

Where else does the RecycleBank programme operate?

•    The first RecycleBank programme began in January 2005 in Pennsylvania, USA.

•    RecycleBank operates in 25 states across the USA including New York, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts.

•    The second RecycleBank programme in the UK is currently operating in Halton with 10,000 households on a mixed recycling scheme and is expected to roll out to a further 37,000 households in August 2010.