Philadelphia will unveil its latest ambitious recycling initiative, an incentive-based program that city officials say could reward households $240 a year for their participation and save the city millions of dollars in landfill fees. The program, titled Philadelphia Recycling Rewards, will begin in February in North Philadelphia and will be rolled out to a new section of the city every month after that (Roxborough will begin in July 2010). Based on the total amount of recycled material in their community, residents will earn points that can be redeemed for discount coupons or gift cards at hundreds of local and national businesses, including supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, and museums. RecycleBank, a for-profit company, now provides services to more than one million members in 20 states - including more than two dozen municipalities in this region - and the United Kingdom. for household bins and equipment on the trucks that can "read" the tags - and RecycleBank is funding other initial costs. Residents can sign up now online (www.PhillyRecyclingPAYS.com) or by phone (1-888-769-7960), which will earn them 100 bonus points for early registration. They will receive a free radio tag by mail that identifies each participating home and can be affixed to any hard-sided container. Registrants can monitor, redeem, or donate their points online or by phone in a process the city says is comparable to shopping online. The city will tally recycling amounts not by household, but by the community overall, making it pointless to, say, steal a neighbor's recyclables. In the new Philadelphia program, households will also earn points based on reductions in waste sent to landfills. Tolson said this would encourage people to buy in bulk, look for items with less packaging, and take other steps to reduce their waste. By Sandy Bauers Inquirer Staff Writer |
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Jan 7, 2010 - Get Paid for Recyclingposted Jan 7, 2010 1:24 PM by WNCA OWNER [ updated Jan 8, 2010 6:23 AM ] |