A "golden ticket" prize draw is offering residents the chance to win rewards from their council.
Households in the New Forest District Council (NFDC) area could win a garden waste subscription or a family swimming pass if they find one of five golden tickets inside the food caddy delivered as part of the district’s new waste and recycling scheme.
The tickets will be hidden among the caddies as part of the third and final phase of NFDC’s roll-out beginning on Monday, March 9, 2026.
Each winner can choose from one of five prizes - an annual garden waste subscription, a one‑week family swimming pass at a Freedom Leisure centre, a compost bin or water butt, one bulky waste collection, or a £50 donation to the Chairman’s Charity.
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Geoffrey Blunden, councillor and portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, said: "As we enter the third and final phase of this major project, we want to thank all the residents who have already embraced the new waste and recycling collection service.
"More than 47,000 households are already using the system, and with over 3.4 million collections completed, we’re already seeing real benefits, from increased recycling and cleaner streets to fantastic levels of participation across our communities."
"So far, more than 2,000 tonnes of food waste have been collected for recycling, the equivalent of over 166 double-decker buses, helping to turn material that would otherwise be thrown away into renewable energy and fertiliser.
"It’s a great example of how the new service is already delivering environmental benefits for the district."
The latest phase covers around 36,000 homes in Hythe, Fawley, Lyndhurst, Marchwood, Totton and nearby areas.
Wheelie bins and caddies will be delivered from early March until the end of April.
Collections begin the week of Monday, May 11, 2026.
Phase 3 covers East and Northeast New Forest, including Applemore, Ashurst, Colbury, Bartley Park, parts of Beaulieu, Blackfield and Langley, Bramshaw, Butts Ash, Calmore, Totton, Copythorne, Denny Lodge, Dibden, Eling, Exbury and Lepe, Fawley, Furzedown, Holbury, Hythe, Langdown, Lyndhurst, Marchwood, Minstead, Netley Marsh, Rushington, Testwood.
The full terms and conditions for the Golden Ticket incentive are available at newforest.gov.uk/GoldenTicket.
