Recent Comment
Share
What if there were a reason to recycle? Wouldn't it be cool if you were, in some way, reimbursed for all that sticky fingered, paper cutting work that you do every Wednesday evening?
I mean, after all, you are performing a service. Basically, you're a miner. Mining your trash for aluminum, PET plastic, silica and cellulose. So why not get wages like miners do? Some people have been asking those questions...and that's why RecycleBank was formed.
But that's not why RecycleBank just got $13M in venture capital funding. They got that money because their system actually works.
RecycleBank puts an RFID chip in all of their recycling bins. The chip is linked to individual's names and accounts. The recycling trucks then weight your recycling (if properly sorted) and give you credits based on the amount of stuff you're recycling. The credits can then be exchanged like airline miles. Except, instead of flights, you get a buck off your latte at Starbucks, or cheaper dog food, or a free rental at Blockbuster.
Of course, there are a few problems with this idea. First, it kinda encourages people to consume more. I don't have much recycling because I drink water and read the newspaper online. If I got incentives for my cans, I might start drinking Mountain Dew again. Another possible issue is theft. As weird as it sounds, neighbors might start swapping bins under the cover of darkness, or even plundering recycleables.
But so far, in pilot projects, that doesn't seem to have been a problem. Two Philidelphia communities saw recycling rates increase from 7% and 35% to 90% each!
I haven't heard of a 90% recycling rate anywhere outside of Europe, so those are very exciting numbers. Especially because more people recycling means more raw material per man-hour and vehicle-mile, which signficantly increases the probability that recycling authroties will actually make money.
Via Earth2Tech
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by slightlytilted, March 20, 2008
-
- +0
-
-
written by Orwell Green, March 21, 2008
-
- +0
-
-
written by Rachel, April 22, 2008
-
- +0
-
-
written by Jessica, May 31, 2008
-
- +0
-
-
written by Jim, January 13, 2009
the weight diverted .
The RFID invasion is a big issue -
see PAYT program in the U.K.
-
- +0
-
-
written by John Styles, February 27, 2009
-
- +0
-
-
written by penny, June 17, 2009
Yes it is great we can recycle, and we always could. But now there is a private company that has grown 400% in the last couple of years on peoples hopes and dreams saying they will give us somethin if we recycle more. Wow I was impressed and I mean was.
Does anyone weigh thier recycleables before they throw em in thier bins? I do and there has not been once that the weight they come up with is right. In fact my last pick up was less then a third of the actual weight I put in. And god help you if you get in a tissy fit and call them about it. In the agreement they are not responsible for any mistakes plain as day. And if you try to press the point they will say they will kick you out of the program, but the municipality will still charge you to recycle nothin. Recycle Bank will grow and grow, and with the RFID chip this makes them a real threat to everyones rights and privacy. For Recycle Bank going green is only for the green backs you all stupidly throw at them for a coupon to get half off a latte.
-
- +0
-
-
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
I'm guessing you've never lived in an area where they pay you to recycle. Consumption won't be affected. In New England, they have a 5cent/can tax and recycle. A lot of people don't recycle them anyway, even when the recycling machines are in the grocery store.