Residents who excel at recycling could be handed shopping vouchers to improve targets after Braintree Council won a share of £900,000.

The Government money will be invested in a joint project with Epping Forest, Harlow and Tendring councils and could include shoppers being handed Nectar card-style reward points.

Another option could be to join the national Greenredeem scheme, which allows community groups and schools to apply for match-funding for projects with credits earned through recycling.

James Abbott, district councillor and the Green Party leader on Essex County Council, said any incentives were positive.

He said: “We have always said we prefer to offer incentives rather than to beat people about the head.

“If you look at the cost benefits of this, for every tonne you get out of landfill and into recycling, you make a saving.

“In many local authorities, Braintree included, recycling has flatlined or come down very slowly. That’s a national issue.

“There doesn’t seem to be a clear reason why and we need to get the trajectory back up again.”

Braintree Council aims to recycle 60 per cent of all household waste.

The actual figure dropped to 52.37 per cent in the last financial quarter, but Mr Abbott said this was still above the national average.

Paul Partridge, head of operations at Braintree Council, said residents and schools would benefit from a range of rewards and increased recycling services later this year.

However, a council spokesman said the details had yet not been agreed.