SUPERMARKET vouchers will be handed out to each Hyndburn household as a reward if the borough improves recycling rates.

Hyndburn Council have been granted £39,000 in governent funding to set up the scheme, in which supermarkets can bid to become a part of.

Coun Munsif Dad, who oversees recycling, said that the more the recycling rates improve, the more valuable the voucher offer should be.

However oppositon councillors have criticised it as backing supermarkets at the expense of smaller traders.

The council expects to be able to reward residents with £5 per one per cent rise.

For example, if residents across the borough achieve a 2 per cent increase next year, the council anticipates being able to award households £10 at the end of it.

Coun Dad also said the authority would be also negotiating with supermarkets to see which ones offered the best deals.

Hyndburn’s recycling rate is an impressive 38 per cent, but still has to improve further to meet government targets.

Coun Dad said: “The scheme is quite simple. A supermarket partner would reward increases in Hyndburn’s household recycling rate by giving vouchers to all householders to spend in their store.

“Basically the bigger the increase in recycling, the bigger the reward voucher.

“It has huge potential to drive up Hyndburn’s recycling rates, which is better for the environment and for council tax payers, as we’ll pay less landfill tax, which all helps to keep council tax down.”

Opposition leader Peter Britcliffe said his party was calling for the scheme to be scrapped.

He said: “This was proposed to us when we were in power, but we felt it gave supermarkets an unfair advantage.

“My fellow councillors cannot understand why we have spent so much money on the market hall and we are now handing business to the supermarkets.”

The campaign is due to commence from 1 April 2012 and if recycling levels increase, reward vouchers will be delivered in June 2013.