Environmentally aware schoolchildren across Windsor and Maidenhead recycled nearly 160,000 plastic bottles last year.

They were part of a pilot scheme pioneered by Greenredeem, the organisation that works with councils, brands, manufacturers and retailers to change behaviour.

It trialled interactive recycling kiosks across 25 primary and secondary schools in the Royal Borough over 2019 involving 12,000 pupils.

Pupils were able to scan and deposit plastic drinks bottle, earning five pence for the school to spend on education each time. By the end of the year five tonnes of plastic had been deposited.

Recycled bottles were collected from the kiosks each week.

Matthew Ball, Managing Director of Greenredeem, said he hopes to see the idea extended beyond schools,

He said: “In the UK, three billion plastic bottles are thrown away, littered or never recycled every year.

“The flexible model we piloted provides a readily available and scalable solution which benefits everyone involved. The kiosk is a focal point and conduit for recycling that could be rolled out in other ways across the UK – including through an app – to ensure the cost-effective capture of plastic bottles."