London mayoral candidate Boris Johnson yesterday pledged to pay Londoners to recycle when he launched his environmental manifesto for the city, Protecting our Local Environment.

Johnson, the Conservative MP for Henley, said he had drawn inspiration from US-based company RecycleBank, which works with local governments to reward people according to the amount of recycling they carry out. Participants are paid with vouchers that can be spent in local shops. He claimed that the initiatives have succeeded in boosting per-household recycling rates by more than 200 per cent.

Johnson said that Tory-run councils, including Westminster, Maidenhead and Windsor will begin talks with RecycleBank with a view to implementing a similar scheme in the UK. If the pilots prove successful the scheme would be promoted to other boroughs in the capital.

The Conservative mayoral candidate was joined by shadow environment minister Peter Ainsworth and Conservative green enthusiast Zac Goldsmith at yesterday’s manifesto launch on Hampstead Heath.

"Increasing recycling may appear to be a small gesture but it will actually improve the lives of thousands of Londoners. I want to work with London boroughs to make that a reality," said Johnson.