Extension for litter incentive scheme

Carrickfergus Borough Council’s Bin it, Win it! scheme offers residents an incentive to properly dispose of dog mess and litter.

The pilot, which was initially due to run from July 1 to September 30, saw the local authority’s enforcement officers take the details of those residents and enter them into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher for use at any one of several participating businesses in the borough.

However, a smaller number of entrants than expected over the summer has seen the council extend the scheme by a further two months.

The low uptake over July and August was due in part to staffing levels, a council spokesperson explained.

With only one enforcement officer available during the summer months instead of the usual two, the local authority was unable to properly implement the scheme.

“We’re going to run the scheme for another two months and continue to raise awareness that it’s ongoing,” the spokesperson added.

“We may also extend it to include community initiatives like the recent beach clean, where people can be entered into the draw for helping to clean up other people’s litter as well as their own.”

Meanwhile, the council is to implement extra patrols in Sunnylands to tackle the issue of repeated dog fouling.

The problem was brought to the attention of the local authority by a member of the public, who reported that a high number of fouling incidents were occurring at the play area adjacent to Sunnylands Community Centre.