Program Pays to Recycle
Recycle Bank gives customers incentive to go green
By LINDSAY WILCOX
Updated 6:31 PM CDT, Tue, Jul 7, 2009
One North Texas city is encouraging recycling by putting money back in people's pockets, and it's seeing recycling rates go through the roof at a time when many cities are experiencing a decline.
Participation in Carrollton's Recycle Bank program is simple. Residents recycle all of their material together in one bin.
It's picked up curbside, and an RFID chip records the address.
The amount recycled in a neighborhood is weighed and converted into points residents use for discounts at local stores.
"If our residents will use the points, they can recoup almost the entire amount that they're paying for waste collection over a year," says Rob Branson, Mayor.
Recycling rates generally drop during a recession because people aren't buying much, but Carrollton has actually seen it's recycling rate actually increase 12 percent in the last six months.
The program is a partnership between the city, Republic Services and the Recycle Bank.
First Published: Jul 7, 2009 12:20 PM CDT
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