Prize draws and cash rewards could soon be offered to homeowners in York and North Yorkshire in an effort to sweeten them to the cause of recycling.

The Government announced today that our region will take up a pilot scheme over the next six months, which will include giving rewards to residents who recycle specific materials at household waste centres.

City of York Council will work with North Yorkshire County Council and Hambleton, Ryedale and Selby district councils on the scheme, which could see cash awards, discount vouchers and prizes handed to regular recyclers.

About 50 schemes across the country will pilot, test and assess various approaches to encourage people to recycle and reduce waste.

Some local authorities will offer the prizes while, in other cases, schools and charities will cash in on increased recycling. Elsewhere, communities will be rewarded with cash for local schemes and improvements.

The Local Environmental Quality Minister, Ben Bradshaw, said he hoped that the schemes would not only encourage regular recyclers to recycle more, but would help to engage with people who have yet to start recycling regularly.

Coun Andrew Waller, York council's environment boss, said the authority welcomed anything that could help increase recycling.

Mr Bradshaw said: "Getting people to change their behaviour is a challenge, and recycling is no exception. While there are millions of dedicated recyclers, there are still many families and people who have yet to start recycling regularly.

"We want to find new ways to encourage these people to start recycling and help regular recyclers by making it easier for them to fit recycling into their lives."

The results from the pilot studies announced today will be used in future policy decisions.

Coun Waller said: "If we can encourage people that their actions can help the local community groups and schools that they are part of, then all to the good.

"We have thought in the past about how to encourage people to recycle more and we are in favour of any scheme which helps to do that."

Updated: 10:59 Thursday, October 06, 2005