RecycleBank Rewards Los Angeles Residents For Recycling
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RecycleBank rewards participants who recycle their trash with points that can be redeemed from over 1000 participating retailers. But isn't that rewarding trash with more trash?
By now, everyone should know the overall benefits of recycling most things. Though many things we often think of as being ‘recycled’ are often downcycled into a material or product of ‘lower worth or usefulness’, the habit and practice of a more ‘use/re-use’ mentality is an important first step towards a more sustainable way of consuming things (I know oxymoron) that produce ‘trash’.
One city in America that already recycles and/or reuses more of its trash(65% to be exact) than any other major metropolitan in the country is Los Angeles. While this number is impressive, LA’s mayor, Antonio Villraigosa, wants people to recycle even more, which is why he has implemented a RecycleBank pilot program, set to begin on April 5th, that will initially serve 15,000 residences in the West Valley and North Central regions of LA.
Cash For Trash
RecycleBank is a company that, among other things, offers a curbside recycling program that rewards participants for the amount and weight of their recyclables. Curbside recycling bins are outfitted with special ID tags that are scanned each time the bins are emptied. The recorded weight is then uploaded to a participants account where points are accrued that can be redeemed for a wide range of product and services from over 1000 participating retailers. The program even allows you to convert your points into charitable donations which RecycleBank will often match.
RecycleBank currently serves 20 U.S. cities as well as many regions in the U.K. In addition to its curbside recycling program, RecycleBank also will accept many forms of electronic devices, or e-waste, for which it will also reward points, and also has plans to financially reward people for using renewable energy. The company is also involved in many charitable/environmental endeavors as well such as the Green Dimes program as well as RecycleBank’s own Green Schools program. From its website:
At RecycleBank, we are defining and building the 21st century Gconomy. It is a place where communities, companies and individuals are financially rewarded for positive green actions that create economic efficiencies. We started in 2005 by financially rewarding households for the amount that they recycle, because recycling enabled us to connect with every home in every neighborhood. We are now expanding our service to financially reward people for additional green actions that include using solar and wind power, using water efficiently, riding public transportation, and buying products that are manufactured from recycled content.
The Good: An incentivized system that rewards people for participating in environmental best-practices like recycling. Reward points can also be converted into charitable donations.
The Bad: The program rewards people for recycling their trash by essentially supplying them with the opportunity to acquire more ’stuff’ that produces more trash. Direct incentive programs often unrealistically condition peoples’ expectation of reward for doing something that they should be doing in the first place. This program is being implemented in a city that already has the highest recycling rate in the country?!
The Bottom-Line: A well developed program that is likely to be met with great enthusiasm and participation, but the material incentive driving the interest in the program somewhat contradicts its intended purpose.
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