Tesco cuts points for recycling

Points are now only awarded for recycled aluminium cans List of stores with automated recycling centres

Tesco has stopped issuing Clubcard points for materials such as plastic and glass put into its recycling machines after "misuse" of the system.

The supermarket said people were cutting up items such as plastic bottles in order to get more points.

The machines are installed at about 40 stores in England and one in Scotland.

Previously most of the machines awarded one point for every four recycled items. Now Green Clubcard points will only be issued for aluminium cans.

The automated machines were first introduced in 2005 and sort plastic, metal and glass before shredding the waste.

Trial period

The supermarket's website says more than a million items a week are now being fed into the machines for recycling.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "When we first installed the recycling centres we trialled different points systems at different locations, including points for plastic bottles.

"Unfortunately, this sometimes resulted in the system being misused with plastic items cut up into many small pieces in order to gain additional points, which we were unable to sustainably award points for.

"Now one Green Clubcard Point will be given for every two aluminium cans recycled."

Last year a couple from Hampshire collected piles of litter to make the most of the former system.

Their reward points were converted into BA air miles and they amassed enough to fly back in business class from their US honeymoon in August last year.