Johnson aims to reward recyclers

2:41pm Thursday 27th March 2008

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Londoners could be paid for going greener if Boris Johnson is elected as mayor of the capital later this year.

Publishing his environment manifesto on Thursday, Mr Johnson said he wanted to promote innovative schemes that would see Londoners rewarded to recycle their domestic waste.

He claimed a similar scheme in America, where residents are given vouchers in return for their recyclable waste, has seen the amount of household waste being recycled there increase by more than 200 per cent.

The scheme sees rubbish weighed when it is collected. The more waste rescycled, the more vouchers are paid back. These vouchers can be spent in local shops.

According to Johnson, local authorities would save money as the cost of disposing of waste in landfill is due to rise from £24 per tonne to £48 per tonne over the next three years.

"Increasing recycling may appear to be a small gesture but it will actually improve the lives of thousands of Londoners. I want to work with London boroughs to make that a reality," he said.

In his manifesto, Johnson also promised to invest £6m in making the city's open spaces cleaner and safer and to protect the green belt and development on gardens.

As a means of cutting carbon emissions, he also plans to make London's streets more "cycle-friendly city".

He also said he would oppose the third runway at Heathrow and pledged to work with the boroughs to encourage Londoners to install insulation in return for council tax rebates.