frequently asked questions
Who pays for the scheme?
Local Green Points is a service delivered to a council to assist in motivating improved performance to generate significant savings for the council. As such, it is a service that is funded by the council with costs linked to the savings generated.
How much will it cost?
This is determined following a detailed inception process that looks at current cost burdens for waste management and an assessment of likely savings the scheme will achieve. This is then combined with an assessment of property types, number of homes and other demographic factors, which then enables us to make a detailed, costed proposal.
Will the scheme encourage fly tipping?
Very unlikely. Where systems have been introduced in other parts of the world that charge households for landfill waste, there has been no marked increase in illegal fly tipping. The theory is that if one is predisposed to fly tip, then one will continue to do so but if you are not, then this sort of scheme will not encourage you to start.
Will people not be encouraged to artificially increase the weight of their recycling to gain more points?
Other similar systems have found no evidence that this is a significant problem. There is a limit to the amount of points a household receives so there is little to be gained and systems can be implemented that identify incidents of contamination that can exclude persistent offenders from the scheme.
Does the council need to install ID Chips and Weighing equipment?
No. Our system does not require the investment in this type of technology and feeds from existing data streams. Of course, if a council wishes to install such equipment and use this as part of the scheme, then this can be discussed and we do have close working relationships with companies that can provide this.
Are there any limitations on where the scheme can be deployed?
The scheme has been developed to be flexible and accommodate local dynamics and can be considered for deployment anywhere in the UK. The only constraining factor is the level of savings that can be attained. For example, a council already achieving very high diversion rates will unlikely be able to realise savings to a level to make the scheme viable compared to councils with lower diversion rates. That is not to say that the scheme cannot be deployed but the structure of it would need to be adapted to accommodate the financial issues in that region.