A VOUCHER reward scheme competition run by Powys County Council to encourage the recycling of electrical goods has been criticised for not promoting Powys-based businesses.
Powys County Council’s Recycling and Waste Team has organised a competition to encourage residents to recycle their small electrical items such as telephones, hair dryers, hair straighteners, electric clocks, toothbrushes, irons, kettles, toasters or games.
Five £100 Amazon vouchers will be sent to winners after the competition closes on Sunday, May 12, at 6pm.
Liberal Democrat and Green group leader, Cllr James Gibson-Watt (Glasbury), said:-“Encouraging the recycling of old electrical goods is obviously something we all want to do, but surely the council could be issuing vouchers that can be spent by participants in any Powys-based business?
“Rather than one that has no base in Powys and whose on-line retailing actually draws shoppers away from our hard-pressed high street retailers.”
Cllr Gibson-Watt has written to the Cabinet Member for Highways, Waste and Recycling to express his group’s dismay.
Cabinet Member for Recycling and Waste, Phyl Davies (Conservative – Blaen Hafren), said: “The competition and prizes are fully funded by the European Recycling Platform (ERP), our Producer Compliance Scheme for waste electrical items.
“ERP like to use Amazon vouchers as they can trace if the vouchers have been spent and also for the choice of prizes that are available to winners.
“We especially want young people to take part in this competition and with the range of items that can be bought on Amazon, it does make it more appealing.
“It also makes it fair for all residents wherever they may live in the county.”
To enter residents need to take a selfie of themselves with three electrical item and in front of a banner at a recycling centre and post it to the council’s Facebook page.