If you got paid for it, would you remember to recycle? The paradigm-shifting RecycleBank thinks you might. Its incentive-laden plan has helped household recycling rates skyrocket in some cities-from 30 percent to 90 percent in one Philadelphia neighborhood. It works simply: The company's trucks pick up all your recyclables (for free) and record the weight. You can then redeem the corresponding RecycleBank Dollars at participating stores-including chains like Starbucks and FedEx, and plenty of local retailers, restaurants, and even bars. Local governments win, too: It is cheaper for the participating cities-in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and soon New York and throughout New England-to pay RecycleBank directly for every household served than to ship the unsorted waste from all households to expensive landfills.LEARN MORErecyclebank.com
Bags to Riches
If you got paid for it, would you remember to recycle? The paradigm-shifting RecycleBank thinks you might.
By Ben JerveyFeb 18, 2007
Ben Jervey
Ben is a writer and editor covering climate change, energy, and environment, and is currently the Climate and Energy Media Fellow at Vermont Law School. He was the original Environment Editor at GOOD Magazine and his work has appeared regularly in National Geographic News, Grist, DeSmogBlog, and OnEarth. He recently worked with the non-profit Focus the Nation to publish an Energy 101 primer. When living in New York City, he wrote a book, The Big Green Apple, on how to live a lower impact life in the city. A bicycle enthusiast, Ben has ridden across the United States and through much of Europe.
