Council boosts recycling with incentive program

New grants for NSW remote waste and recycling projects
A NSW council has used an online incentive platform to engage its residents to improve their recycling and sustainability behaviours.

Blacktown City Council launched its city-wide GreenMoney program in June 2015, which gives participants rewards for recycling and sustainability activities. GreenMoney is an online solution for local governments from GreenBe systems.

In a report issued last week (24 June), the council said it recognised it needed a new approach to efficiently drive behaviour change, and to transform engagement with households and the wider community.

Since the launch of the GreenMoney program, almost 11,000 households have signed up. They have earned 21 million points, which equates to 2,100 tonnes of recycling collected. From May 2015 to January 2016, the average fortnightly recycling rate, by weight per household, increased by 30%.

The NSW EPA noticed the impact of GreenMoney in Blacktown, experiencing a 50 per cent spike in downloads for the ‘Hey Tosser’ mobile app after Blacktown City challenged residents to get involved and report littering in the community.

“The platform is allowing us to deliver a personal and innovative engagement solution to our residents and business community,” says Blacktown City Council’s Senior Sustainable Resources Officer, Tai Kingston. “[It] has helped us to quickly and easily engage with, inform and educate households at scale.”

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