Good practice:

Coventry Recycling Club

This is a scheme to reward residents for recycling: residents earn points when recycling improves in their area.
The recycling and general rubbish collected in each area is compared to the same period the previous year. If residents recycle more or reduce the amount of general rubbish, they are rewarded with points. The points are earned for each collection, while the number of points earned depends on how much more is recycled or how much less is thrown away.
In return, the points can be given to a Good Cause. Each month three Good Causes are shown on the website and people can choose which ones to give their points to. Therefore, each month all three Good Causes will get a share of the funding pot of up to £5,000. The funding pot will increase as more people join the club and, of course, the more people recycle.
The Good Causes are chosen between initiatives in Coventry. Charities, groups and organisations based in Coventry can apply to become a good cause. Once an application is approved the good
cause is added to a list and each month three good causes are randomly selected from the list for support.
The Coventry Recycling Club is web based only and has been/is promoted via all printed/email literature distributed by the web team, on the Council website, Facebook and Council and Coventry Recycling Club twitter accounts, on the side of refuse vehicles, round-about signs, bus stops, local radio, local print, and in person via community events and council staff.

It was funded by the Department of Communities and Local Government.
The grant (£1.025m) funded Recycling Champions, a Waste Incentive Officer, the rewards, the set-up of the Club (circa £55k), the annual cost of the website (£4k).
Funding concluded in Feb 2019, but it continues in a revised form.

Since the introduction of the scheme there has been a monthly rise in the number of members demonstrating continued engagement. The Club has currently 6059 members. Benefits in the long term can be found in behavioural change in recycling and waste management.

Behavioural change requires constant messaging and contact/content for continued benefits to be achieved. On-going communication/messaging keeps the scheme fresh and encourages continued engagement.

This scheme is an example of how citizens can be involved and engaged in the improvement of recycling and reduction of general waste. It also helps in making them aware of the issue and what to do to improve it.
Seen its characteristics, the scheme could be transferred to any kind of project or initiative where the citizens’ commitment is necessary to achieve better results (like in sustainable urban mobility planning).
Information about it has already been shared with other Local Authorities and similar schemes have been adopted in other areas in the UK.