Whitehead recyclers point the way for rest of the UK

Over 4,010 items have been recycled so far in the Reward4Waste trial taking place in the seaside town, where householders receive rewards for their efforts.

More than half of the redeemed points, totalling just over £2,000 to date, have been donated to charity through the generosity of Whitehead residents.

The trial - the first of its kind in Europe - comes as the UK Government is working on new laws to bring in a deposit return scheme (DRS) in 2023, which will change the shape of recycling for householders in the UK.

One of those embracing the new technology is Jo Nixon, who said: “It’s fantastic to see the local community in Whitehead come together to support the trial at this difficult time and to donate so many of their rewards to charity.

“Recycling is something that we can all do to help protect our environment and save our world for future generations.”

Reward4Waste, delivered in partnership with Cryptocycle, Bryson Recycling and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, was launched last September and is due to finish at the end of this month. During this time residents have been able to claim points via the Reward4Waste app for recycling items packed in single-use packaging, purchased at Spar on Edward Road, Whitehead, including plastic drinks bottles, cans, plastic milk bottles and glass wine bottles.

Each participating item has a unique sticker which customers simply scan into the dedicated app at the point of recycling to get their points. Users can recycle at home using their existing Bryson Recycling boxes or on-the-go, using temporary public recycling bins located throughout the town.

The collected points can be redeemed as vouchers to be used at the participating store or donated to a choice of four charities – Hope House, Whitehead Primary School PTA, Angel Wishes or Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

The app has been used by individuals of all ages, from 13 to 80.

Participant, Joanne Allen (in the 55-60 age cohort) says: “The app was easy to use even for me who is a technophobe. I wanted to be part of the trial because I think it is vital that we recycle and reuse as much as we can. We have a long way to go but need to start somewhere and this is a good start.”

UK consumers go through an estimated 14 billion plastic drinks bottles, nine billion drinks cans and five billion glass bottles a year, and the introduction of a DRS aims to increase recycling, reduce litter and keep packaging within the circular economy.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston, said: “These results are to be commended. Residents here have clearly got behind the scheme and have shown a real willingness to recycle.

“As a coastal community Whitehead has always been an area passionate about our environment and it’s great to see this support behind new initiatives like this. It’s also great to see new technologies help us in our journey to reduce waste, recycle properly and ultimately help save the environment as well as money and resources. “I’m really pleased to see so many people getting on board and would encourage anyone who hasn’t already to get the app.”

More information can be found on www.reward4waste.com

Click here to read: Whitehead residents to get reward points for recycling

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