Sponsored by DEFRA, the London Borough of Camden and City of Westminster have appointed mobile marketing and technology firm Incentivated to deliver a mobile website and a range of trackable QR codes to encourage the public to recycle more when they are out and about.
The two London authorities have joined forces in an attempt to improve the recycling rates for ‘street litter’ (that discarded by people on the move, rather than at home), and reduce the amounts being put in general rubbish bins or on the floor.
Over 600 recycling bins on streets across the two boroughs will carry brightly coloured stickers with the ‘Bin Scan Win’ logo and a QR code. Having put their litter in the appropriate recycling slot (paper, plastic etc), people are asked to scan the QR code. This will take them to a mobile-optimised campaign website where they can register for daily prizes, upload pictures and, in Camden, see a news/Twitter feed which will cycle tweets that use the hash tag #BinScanWin.
As people visit the site on their phones (it’s not available to desktop computers), they are asked to enter their email address to enter the daily competition. This allows the daily winner to choose from vouchers for a range of retailers. At launch, these include Amazon, Marks & Spencer, Love2Shop, John Lewis and Theatre Tokens. 
“Keeping streets clean and safe is a priority for our residents in Westminster, but for many years councils have by and large cleared up after people, tackling consequences, but not always causes,” notes Councillor Ed Argar, cabinet member for city management and transport at the City of Westminster. “This council will never back away from its core responsibilities, but in financially straightened times it is right that we look for fresh thinking by adopting a more environmentally responsible and financially sustainable approach. We all can, and all must, play a part in building a more collaborative and responsible approach between councils, businesses, communities and individuals. It is the right thing to do environmentally, and it makes financial sense – in short, a win-win for everyone.”
Waste generated and disposed of outside of the home accounts for around 25 per cent of all domestic waste in the UK, and about 25,000 tonnes a year in London alone. Around 70 per cent (by weight) of this is recyclable. And yet, recycling when you are travelling to the shops, commuting or between meetings is currently quite hard to do and not heavily promoted.
