Lottery litter app launches with weekly £1k prizes

People are being encouraged to use a new app aimed at boosting recycling rates and reducing litter.

Thanks to AI technology, LitterLotto will tell people which recycling bag or box to use and send reminders on collection days.

Residents can also take pictures of litter they have picked up and binned via the app, which enters them into a weekly national £1,000 jackpot.

Cheltenham Borough Council has launched the app to "help make kerbside recycling as simple as possible", a spokesperson said.

Residents can also photograph and upload to the app items they have recycled to enter a monthly Cheltenham-based draw where people can win £100.

Councillor Izaac Tailford, cabinet member for waste and recycling, said he hopes the scheme, which is called Bin It To Win It, will help keep the town clean and improve recycling rates.

"It can be challenging at times to know which items can be recycled.

"We're very keen to see results from Bin It To Win It. We take a great pride in the appearance and cleanliness of our town, however like any borough, some spaces do suffer with littering," he said.

The higher a council's recycling rate, the more funding from government the authority receives, so it is hoped that the £16,000 cost of rolling out the app in Cheltenham will be covered by increased funding from government.

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