Just 0.02% of Westminster households entered into recycling prize draw gimmick

9.13.13am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th Aug 2006

Only 23 out of 112,000 residential properties in Westminster took part in a £4,000 prize draw aimed at increasing recycling, according to an official government report published this week. That amounts to just 0.02% of households.

To encourage recycling brightly-coloured labels were distributed to homes in Westminster and people were asked to attach the labels to their recycling to qualify for the prize draw. Labels were then picked up when recycling was tipped out of collection lorries. Winners received a £50 shopping voucher. Yet just 23 labels were collected and entered into the draw.

The government report concluded that "it is difficult to identify any specific impact that the incentive may have had", "only 4% of resident were aware" of the scheme, and "the results of the project are disappointing" as "only 23 vouchers" were collected.

Commenting, local LibDem Stuart Bonar, said:

"Westminster has a less then impressive recycling rate, so credit to whoever dreamt up his well-intentioned scheme. It was nonetheless a failure, and the responsibility for that lay with those whose job it is to communicate with the public - the councillors.

"Indeed, it is a symptom of something deeper. A failure by Conservative councillors to listen. A failure to stay in touch with local people. A failure to communicate."