Dive Brief:
- According to Recyclebank, a company that issues rewards for recycling, over 300 communities recycled almost 1.5 billion pounds of waste in 2013.
- The recyclables collected in 2013 grew by 45%.
- Members of the firm’s rewards program recycled an additional 157 pounds of recyclables in 2013 compared to the amount of materials recycled when the company launched the program.
Dive Insight:
Recyclebank was founded in New York City in 2004. The company notes that millions of residents and 2,500 local and national businesses have participated in the program to date.
Recyclebank's coalition cities have presented mixed results. While Philadelphia announced plans to extend its partnership with Recyclebank thanks to the program's continued success, the same cannot be said for other communities.
In May 2012, Ann Arbor, MI ended its participation in the program, citing a negligible increase in the recycling rate. City council members in Oak Ridge, TN contemplated cutting ties with Recyclebank in order to save $124,000 in annual expenses; members eventually decided to exit the plan in April of 2013.