RecycleBank, a company founded in Philadelphia in 2005, has finally launched its innovative recycling rewards program in the City of Brotherly Love. Mayor Nutter and other city leaders celebrated the event with a press conference and demonstration in Strawberry Mansion.
RecycleBank partners with municipalities to reward citizens for recycling—the more you recycle, the more points you accrue to redeem for rewards at over 1,500 local and national businesses. You can also donate rewards to nonprofits and charities. All participants need is a sticker for their recycling bin. That sticker contains a microchip that identifies their home. When collected, the bin is weighed and the appropriate amount of points are deposited in the owner’s account. As Mayor Nutter put it, “Philadelphia Recycling Rewards is an opportunity to put real money in the hands of Philadelphians at a time when people really do need it.”
This initiative is the latest in a series of strides (including BigBelly trash receptacles and single-stream recycling) that the city has made towards decreasing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. The program is being rolled out one neighborhood at a time. District 3, which includes Fairmount, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Port Richmond and parts of North Philadelphia, launches in February. Visit phillyrecyclingpays.com to register or learn the launch date for your area. —LEE STABERT
