A Green Carrot for Recycling
One of the things that have slowed in the UK in line with financial growth since the economic crash has been recycling levels. Whether this is for financial reasons or maybe down to a lack of a feel good factor, is hard to know.
However, it seems that we could soon be given a carrot for going green. UK waste management company Greenredeem confirmed that it has acquired the UK arm of Recyclebank – a company that provides people with gift vouchers and reward points for recycling different materials.
The concept is one that has been widely tried in the United States and involves getting households to recycle their waste and receive gift vouchers, retail offers and other benefits in return.
Financial Reward
From food waste recycling for councils to drinks and can recycling kiosks at tourist attractions there may soon be a common place financial reward for recycling our goods.
In essence, the whole procedure is something akin to the US scenario where people are given a certain percentage of a can or glass bottle for recycling – though without the need for a cart full of cans.
Of course, in an ideal world people shouldn’t need a financial reward for doing something positive; however the reality is as usual different to the ideal. And if the reality is that more people tend to recycle their goods, then how awful can that be? Encouraging change in life long patterns may be far easier heartened by a reward of some sort or another.
There are also economic gains. By encouraging recycling we also ensure the growth of the green industry and so jobs too. Something, that might help create the feel good factor required in the first place to encourage a rise in recycling without a monetary carrot.