A pilot waste collection scheme which boosted recycling rates by more than a third is to be extended across Berkshire.
The initiative, which offered residents up to £135 per year in reward points in exchange for their recycled goods, was trialled at around 6,500 homes in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the BBC reports.
Households enrolled on the scheme had their weekly rubbish collections weighed electronically and of those participating, 35 per cent reported an increase in their recycling rate.
Councillor Liam Maxwell told the news provider: "[It showed] that incentives, not penalties are the best way of encouraging people to recycle more."
The scheme, which was launched in June last year, will now be rolled out across the region, including Ascot.
Up and down the country, local authorities are initiating their own recycling pilot schemes to much success.
A kerbside collection project in Leeds has seen weekly landfill contributions drop to 6.25 kg per home in the Rothwell area, compared to 10.52 kg for the average household in Leeds city.
Typical machinery used in the waste recycling industry includes; conveyors – screw conveyors – chain conveyors – belt conveyors