RecycleBank-How to make recycling really pay

United States
April 17, 2008 11:25pm CST
This is a new concept that I've just heard of and I know we don't have it here, but I think if it did exist in more places, people would be more interested in recycling to save the earth, what do you think? The basic concept is bins that keep track of the amount of items you recycle and you get points for the amount you recycle. Then, those points can be redeemed at stores. Here is a link to an article about the whole concept http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1730187,00.html?cnn=yes If this was available to you, would you recycle more? Or would you care less about the whole concept? Do you think recycling should have more rewards or should people be happy with recycling to save the earth?
3 people like this
9 responses
• United States
19 Apr 08
Recycling is alive and kickin' in Washington State. I'm an apartment manager over 2 complexes, and we have 10 large recycle bins at each complex. We in truth need more! Our tenants recycle because we ask them to. It keeps down the bills on the large dumpsters. Our bins are emptied once a week, and that isn't often enough. They are always overflowing.
2 people like this
@tessah (6617)
• United States
18 Apr 08
there arent any rewards where i live, other than the deposits on some beverage containers, for recycling. i pay the same amount every month for trash pickup regardless of how much i have at the curb, and i still recycle and reuse everything possible obsessively. if it has that little symbol on the bottom (and sometimes even when it doesnt, but i know it CAN be recycled just the same ) it gets washed & tossed into the barrels on my porch to await the weekly recycling truck. i compost everything thats organic, and put very little into our local landfills. why? cause its the right thing to do.. its a good thing that benefits everyone.. and i like knowing im doing something for this world we live in, even if its miniscule.
2 people like this
• United States
19 Apr 08
I like this idea. Some people will only do the right thing if there is something in it for them. They need a concrete, immediate reward. Saving the environment for future generations is just a little too fuzzy a concept to get people really interested.
1 person likes this
@k1tten (2318)
• United States
19 Apr 08
I think both are posible. I mean, it would get people to recycle more who are too lazy to or just don't care. They'll get rewards and thus recycle more. And the people who just want to save the earth will just like the perks.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
18 Apr 08
I recycle because I can. I keep things that could be reused out of the landfill, help them get reused and keep them out of my trash bin (I have to pay if the bin is over filled or I have extra trash bags.) I could be a lot greener - but I'm doing the best I can, I allow friends in apartments to come over and drop off their recycling at my place for the city to pick up rather than go to the landfill, I bring home my client's recycling.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
18 Apr 08
Just the other day I seen a commercial with these to teens earing these shirts that had been recycled with different products and They looked great and I think that if everyone did just a little even it would help. Alot just think who cares let the next peson do it. One person can't save the world but if we all just tried even it would be a better place for our families to live in the future we have to think of the next generation and what they will be facing because of all our bad habits of not recyling..Maybe they should make it so that it is the law to recycle? Alot of people though use the gases from the landfills to heat their homes and use it for other things like lights and so on. If we all did away with the landfills it would also do away with this source of gas that is used by alot of people. But, I am all for no more landfills If they could find anothe soource to replace this with that is earth friendly and hope that they will start looking for other ways to start helping out other ways of saving the earth as well. Using corn to make plastics and use as a fuel for vechicles is a great start. Which is important since plastics have been in the news alot lately saying that numbers with 3,6,7 is not health friendly..and to check your water bottles or bottles and plastic ware for these numbers and toss/recycle
2 people like this
• United States
19 Apr 08
I love this idea. I was an "avid recycler" when I was younger. I would collect all the recycling from my house and save it up in trash cans in the back yard, waiting for the day that I could trade it all in for a cool $40 or so. Nowadays, I still recycle but I don't collect from it at all. My dad uses the curb side recycling, and it's pretty efficient. I think this would be a great incentive to get more people to recycle. It has the convenience of curb side pick up through the city with the monetary incentive of private collecting. Hope to see this in my neighborhood soon.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
18 Apr 08
Nowdays it seems that people have ot get a little to give a little, So I think this concept is great it will be helping both sides out and I think that will work well in the long run and help save the Earth, if we don't do it nobody will, not like a group of aliens up there rubbing their hands gleefully together saying"come on destruct a little more and it becomes ours to conquer." Crazy yeah I know..I think that comes from my mom side..But seriously we need to do something and this just might be the ing to do so. Also If people would just buy or use the recycling bins at home/work/school hen things would be alot better. So lets go try to rack up some points for a better future.(Well, when it comes to our areas which I hope is soon.
1 person likes this
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
20 Apr 08
Yes, I would love to get "points" to recycle. We already recycle because our community allows various businesses to have recycle bins. They are so easy because you don't have to seperate the recycleables, you just place them all in a bag....plus it reduces our trash load per week, right? It's so easy and I would love to see that here in my city. I love recycling and RecycleBank would make us do it even more! :D Pablo
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
18 Apr 08
Hello dear hfa. I am very glad that we have such recycling places where recycled things are collected for some small earnings. Many of the families store those that can be recycled and get them sold to the recyclers for some extra money. I do the same, but sometimes I send the recycleable to my friends who collect them for some money. I think that it is a good idea to help save more natural resources from the earth so that we will have more to use in the future.
1 person likes this