Recycling rewards app: Scan & score with Plovie

Sarah Swaine

June 19, 2023

What is a recycling rewards app, and could you earn from your recycling?

Everyday UK consumers are recycling at home, placing paper, cardboard, glass, tins, and plastic into recycling bins to be whisked away by local authorities. But let me ask you…

• How much of what goes in your recycling bin is packaging?
• Would you recycle more if it earned you a few extra pennies?
• Do you know the impact recycling has on your carbon footprint?

Every year the UK generates around 30 million tonnes of household waste, of which 5.9 million tonnes is packaging, a whopping 19%. According to UK Government waste statistics, household recycling rates have increased slightly year on year but we can still do better.

As we become more aware of the impact our rubbish has, more people are looking for additional ways to recycle. Could a recycling rewards app UK households can use at home help boost those efforts?

Decreasing the environmental ‘burden’ of packaging waste

It’s hoped financial incentive schemes such as the UK’s planned Deposit Return Scheme will encourage consumers to recycle empty packaging and significantly increase recycling rates. However, this scheme isn’t expected until at least 2025.

In the meantime, reward-based recycling apps like Plovie have stepped in to fill the gap and incentivise consumer recycling.

Founded in 2018 and originally known as Bower in the UK, Plovie is a free-to-use app named after the ultimate recycling birds, encouraging consumers to recycle by offering cash rewards for scanning recyclable packaging

With many households looking to earn a few extra pennies during the cost-of-living crisis, users can scan packaging with a barcode in the app and receive cash or coupons. In addition, Plovie provides an easy-to-understand breakdown of the impact your recycling has on your carbon emissions, supporting wider environmental goals outlined by organisations such as WRAP.

‘Egg-emplary’ visual aids: See your carbon impact

Most of us have recycling collected by our local councils and never think about it again. We trust our recycling contributes to sustainability but rarely see measurable results at an individual level.

Plovie doesn’t just tell you you’re making a difference, it shows you.

With help from the Plovie mascot, the app visualises the impact your recycled packaging has on carbon emissions. For example, a reduction of 956g of CO₂ equates to:

• 38 minutes of hair drying, OR
• A 6-minute hot shower, OR
• 7km of driving

For further understanding of carbon emissions and environmental impact, resources from the Climate Change Committee provide useful national context.

The app’s ‘Impact’ tab also showcases global recycling stats for the month, quantities of recycled packaging, material breakdowns, top products, and participating brands.

Sounds too good to be true?

Apps where users earn money can raise questions, if they are paying you, where does the money come from?

Plovie is financed by the brands it partners with. It has also collaborated with recycle-more founders Valpak Limited, an environmental compliance scheme and sustainability consultancy.

This collaboration supports circular economy goals by helping brands strengthen sustainability strategies while gaining valuable insights into recycling behaviours.

Understand more about how producer responsibility works in the UK.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, Sarah Swaine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of recycle-more, Valpak Limited, or any other organisation.