I’m interested in the Eden Project’s Waste Neutral initiative, which has formed the basis of the giant Cornish greenhouse and education centre’s waste and procurement strategy over the last couple of years. In fact the conferences and discussions we have attended at Eden have inspired us at Pli to think more systematically about how we can help ourselves and our customers, to balance the waste we produce with the waste we might be able to reuse.

It’s a tricky issue: there are so many sources of waste and it all goes off in different directions for disposal. Just about the only point where it could all come together to be quantified and evaluated is in our own home - hardly the ideal place. Sometimes my own kitchen feels like it’s overflowing with all the waste I’m carefully separating as I go, often to cram a lot of it back together in a big blue plastic box for Southwark Council to take away. I could hardly say I’m on top of it all.

So I was fascinated to learn in Time Magazine about RecycleBank - a pleasing example of some entrepreneurial person putting himself in my shoes and working out what he can do to help me out.

Incentive-based recycling is just what I need: up until now the best incentive has been the pleasure of using my Binvention from Sprout.

The RecycleBank system puts a barcode on your recycle bin: the weight of the bin is measured upon collection and you receive voucher rewards with partner companies for the waste you send to recycling. I like the market-oriented approach: this system is driven by private enterprise.

I can see something like it working in my neighbourhood in London, maybe with the local government or the energy utility giving me an incentive like a supermarket loyalty card. I can even see it working at one remove, with my recycling credits going to benefit the local school or social services.

The basis of the RecycleBank system is weight. We have come to the same conclusion: we’re valuing our waste materials at Pli purely by material category and weight, without any further complications. It’s simple; we think it’s workable.