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We’ve already been given the rubbish news that Londoners are some of the worst recyclers in the country, with some boroughs (*cough* Newham) only recycling 15 percent of their waste. However, some London boroughs are attempting to combat these garbage stats. Trying to give London a greener name, independent business in Hackney are enticing people to fill up their green bins by serving up discounts to the neighbourhoods that do the most recycling.
Eateries, barbers and galleries, including Long White Cloud, Stereo 92, Anjelique, Pickles of London and Vintage Basement, are rewarding recyclers through a discount card scheme run by Local Green Points in association with Hackney Council. The ‘recycle reward scheme’ was initially set up in October 2016 in Hackney and now has 110 independent businesses signed up to it. It’s open to all 113,000 households in Hackney, who will receive a membership card entitling them to discounts at local shops and restaurants. Long White Cloud on Hackney Road is one of the businesses in the scheme and gives residents 10 percent off their bill when they show their Hackney Recycling Rewards card.
Members also earn points on their card when the council measures the amount of recycling and waste produced by each of the borough’s 21 wards. When a ward recycles more and produces less waste all its members receive points. Individuals who contribute the most points to their community’s total each month win voucher prizes, with extra prizes available for residents in flats. What’s more, every six months, donations totalling £7,500 are made to local community projects. The five community projects shortlisted for the first year are: Hackney Migrant Centre, Headway East London, Immediate Theatre, St Mary’s Secret Garden and The Sharp End.
So, next time you're throwing out the trash in Hackney, spare a thought for your green bin and you could get a cheap dinner out of it.
It’s free for residents and local businesses to sign up to Hackney Recycling Rewards. Residents can activate their accounts online here and businesses should email info@localgreenpoints.com. Similar schemes also run in Hammersmith & Fulham, Havering, Greenwich, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Waltham Forest, Camden and Bexley.
Photo: Don Byatt/Flickr
In other news, 4,500 wet wipes have been found in one patch of Thames foreshore.