Bonus scheme agreed to reduce waste (from: letsrecycle.com)

THE Oxfordshire Waste Partnership (OWP) has agreed a new bonus scheme to increase recycling in the county and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

The new deal will supplement existing recycling credits within the county. Under the new scheme the county’s five waste collection authorities (WCAs) face performance bonuses or penalties, depending on how much waste they collect for landfill disposal.

The OWP has agreed annual residual waste targets through to 2020, which have been set to ensure that their Joint Waste Strategy targets are met. Each WCA receives the same residual waste allocation per household per year. If a WCA betters its target, then it receives a bonus payment for each tonne below that target. Equally, if a WCA exceeds its residual waste allowance then it pays a penalty for each tonne above its target. The bonus and penalty payments are set at half the value of a recycling credit.

WCAs will continue to receive a recycling credit for every tonne of waste that they recycle or compost, but from April 2009 this will be overlain by the new bonus and penalty scheme. Wayne Lewis, OWP Coordinator said: “We’ve worked hard to develop a system that provides greater incentives for WCAs to reduce waste, while also trying to keep things simple and affordable.”