RecycleBank, Houston add 30,000 homes to program
Dec. 7 -- The RecycleBank program in Houston is now available to 100,000 households, the rewards-for-recycling company said. The company and city officials said this week an additional 30,000 homes were supplied with new 96-gallon recycling carts as part of the curbside program.
"We’re so pleased to offer this great opportunity to more of our residents to help the environment while also helping the city, and themselves, save money," said city Sustainability Director Laura Spanjian. "Residents can see savings in the form of the points they earn by recycling with the RecycleBank program and the valuable rewards like discounts on food and day-to-day household items. That’s real money saved for Houston families." RecycleBank, which gives residents discounts for local and national services and products based on the weight of recyclables collected curbside, has been in Houston since November 2009.Since the program began, 12,000 tons of material have been collected from RecycleBank carts. Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or
RecycleBank CEO predicts massive growth
According to an interview with RecycleBank CEO Jonathan Hsu on TechCrunch-offshoot website GreenTech, the incentive-based recycling firm will be making an initial public offering by 2013 and expects to be valued in excess of $1 billion.
Hsu, who replaced former RecycleBank CEO and founder Ron Gonen, came to the company from Internet marketing concern 24/7 Real Media and is apparently hitting the ground running. "One of the things I will bring to bear in this company is the ability to grow to a mass market scale so that RecycleBank can be the first green mass market brand," Hsu told GreenTech. "This company will IPO in the next several years."
Hsu's ambitious goals will only be possible with penetration to markets outside the U.S. and the UK, the only two regions the company is currently doing business in. RecycleBank has expanded rapidly, operating in over 500 cities in 28 states, as well as the UK, and tripling in revenues in each of the last two years. The first steps for Hsu's future plans, however, according to the interview, will be focusing on greater growth of the program in U.S. cities, increasing corporate sponsorships and revamping the company's website to make it an interactive social web portal — a "Facebook with purpose."
The full interview can be seen here.
RecycleBank expands program into Ann Arbor, Mich.
Sept. 2 -- Rewards-for-recycling program RecycleBank has expanded into Ann Arbor, Mich. "We are excited to expand RecycleBank´s program in Michigan and to bring a valuable recycling rewards program to the City of Ann Arbor," said RecycleBank President Matt Tucker. "Already an exemplary beacon, we hope that through rewarding people for greener actions, we can all make Ann Arbor a more sustainable place for future generations." The expansion into the city follows Ann Arbor’s switch in July to single-stream collections. Residents were give new 64-gallon carts, with 32 and 96 gallon carts also available as part of the switch, RecycleBank said. Residents will earn points based on the weight of their recyclables. Points can be used for discounts at local and national vendors and retailers. To be rewarded for recycling, residents must enroll with RecycleBank by visiting or by calling 888-727-2978. There’s an added incentive for signing up -- residents get 25 RecycleBank bonus points for signing up by Sept. 13. Once in the program, residents can check back regularly to check point balance and to "shop" for rewards. While currently available for single-family and duplex residences, the city and company are working on developing a new program for businesses and apartment complexes.
PAYT versus pointsBy: Megan GreenwaltAugust 30, 2010
Which system is best, pay-as-you-throw or incentive-based recycling programs? An interesting debate on that subject unfolded at the Wastecon 2010 conference in Boston. According to Allen Lynch, manager at North Shore Recycling Program in British Columbia and last president of the Solid Waste Association of North America, the choice is clear. “Incentive-based programs tend to promote increased consumption, which contradicts the three R’s hierarchy,” he said. “If your goal is to reduce the amount of waste going to disposal, and it should be, there are alternative and successful programs that can help you achieve your goal. “The more material in the collection cart, the heavier the load, the more points to be rewarded,” he said.Lynch, who spoke on the advantages and disadvantages of both during the Incentivizing Recycling session at Wastecon, held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center Aug. 15-17, also made an argument against single-stream collection. “If you collect it like garbage, it becomes garbage,” he said. “Do incentive programs that encourage consumption combined with single-stream recycling make any sense? I don’t think so.” Lynch said some communities use incentivized recycling collection programs to boost participation and diversion rates and lower landfill tipping fees. “But at what cost?” he asked. Lynch said he believes that the cost of incentivized recycling far outweighs the benefits of such a program. The “savings” advertised in these programs are just a reallocation of expenses, Lynch said. “As the old cliché says, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” he said. “How much of the cost is hidden in their property taxes and enterprise fund fees?” Incentive-based recycling programs reward residents with points per pound of recyclables collected that can be redeemed for goods or savings from participating companies. Lynch said the difference between an incentive-based system and pay-as-you-throw is the financial incentive to change behavior. “When the cost of disposal is hidden within general taxes or fixed fees everybody’s paying, it almost seems free even though it isn’t. And in a pay-as-you-throw system, residents realize that they can make a difference in their costs,” Lynch said. “The choice is clear,” he said. “When it’s their money at stake, residents prefer to reduce, reuse and then recycle.” Beth Kean-Waddell, vice president and general manager of the Northeast Region for RecycleBank, attended the session and said the important thing is to reduce residential waste and increase curbside recycling. “There is truly no reason to say one is better than another, as long as that mission is accomplished,” Kean-Waddell said. “In fact, the two can work together in harmony to get the desired effect in municipalities where residents pay directly for trash and recycling service either through a contract or subscription.” RecycleBank was launched as a pilot program in Philadelphia in 2004. It will have rewards-for-recycling programs available to 2 million households in the United States and United Kingdom by the end of this year. “Our approach is indeed to reward people for these green actions but those rewards can be used to put food on the table, clothes on their families’ backs, school supplies in the hands of their children and even donations to local schools for environmental grants,” Kean-Waddell said. “It’s all about choice and empowerment, and along the way we see behaviors change in favor of the betterment of the environment,” she said.
RecycleBank, Allied offer recycling rewards to Pa. area
Aug. 18 -- RecycleBank and Allied Waste Services have announced a new rewards-for-recycling program for residents served out of Allied´s BucksMont division.
"As RecycleBank continues to expand across the United States, our vision of rewarding every household for recycling is becoming a reality," RecycleBank General Manager Bob Milligan said. "Allied Waste Services has recognized the value that RecycleBank brings to communities by helping them reach their environmental goals, putting savings in their customers’ pockets and invigorating the local business community."
Allied Waste, part of Republic Services, delivered new, single-stream 96-gallon recycling carts to customers in its BucksMont division, based in Telford, Pa. The new rewards program is part of the million-home agreement RecycleBank and Republic announced Aug. 3.
Customers can use their rewards points, which are based on the amount of materials recycled, for discounts at local and national merchants.
For more information, visit
Republic, RecycleBank join to expand curbside service
Aug. 3 -- Republic Services and RecycleBank have teamed up to expand curbside recycling to 1 million American households. "We expect that this will encourage people to recycle more and more people to recycle," said Gary Sova, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Republic Services. "With more than 2,000 local and national relevant brands and reward partners participating, there is literally an option for everyone and we are excited about this mutually beneficial partnership." With RecycleBank, customers of Republic Services and their local service divisions who participate in the program will be able to earn points based on their recycling activity. Those points are redeemable for discounts to local and national businesses or for donation to local school districts."We are thrilled by Republic’s million-home commitment -- this represents a long-term investment by a highly regarded, world class partner. The executives at both companies are fully vested in leading the charge in bringing incentive-based recycling to communities across the country. For residents of Republic-serviced communities, this is a huge win as they have the ability to earn and redeem RecycleBank Points for hundreds of dollars worth of rewards, discounts and merchandise," said Matthew Tucker, president of RecycleBank. "With the tough economy we are experiencing, these savings translate into real value for families and local businesses. Plus, it’s nice to be rewarded for doing something good."
RecycleBank names Jonathan Hsu as new CEO
July 28 -- Rewards-for-recycling company RecycleBank has tapped Jonathan Hsu as its new CEO. Hsu, most recently the CEO of 24/7 Real Media, replaces company co-founder Ron Gonen who retained his seat on the company’s board of directors after stepping down as chief executive officer in June. "RecycleBank is thrilled to be able to attract a leader like Jonathan to the company," Gonen said in a press release issued by the company to announce the new CEO. "Jon’s extensive media and marketing background will allow RecycleBank to significantly accelerate our global growth and expansion plans, and will be an incredible asset in recruiting the world’s leading brands to join the movement to motivate individuals and communities to engage in positive green actions.
Cincinnati is largest Midwestern city using RecycleBank
June 29 -- With a program slated to begin in October, Cincinnati will become the largest Midwestern U.S. city-wide participant in the RecycleBank program. The new agreement between Rumpke Recycling, recycling cart manufacturer Cascade Engineering, and rewards program RecycleBank was announced Monday. Other Midwest areas with RecycleBank include suburbs of Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Omaha, Sioux Falls, and a pilot program in three wards of Chicago. "The City is excited to provide this innovative new service to citizens," Mayor Mark L. Mallory said. "People are looking for creative new ways to become more ´green´ in their everyday lives. The larger recycling carts are going to allow people to recycle much more than they do now, and the great part is that they will be rewarded for how much they recycle." Participants in RecycleBank programs are awarded points based on the weight of their recycled materials; the points can be redeemed for discounts at local and national businesses or donated to local school districts. As part of the program, which includes larger recycling carts, Cincinnati is switching to a bi-weekly recycling pickup. Between lower collection costs and increased landfill diversion the city expects to save more than $1 million annually in collection and disposal costs. The city is using $750,000 awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to manage the program and to purchase the new recycling carts. For more information, visit RecycleBank.com
RecycleBank now offering rewards program in Tenn.
April 20, 2010 -- Residents in counties surrounding Chattanooga, Tenn., will now be served by RecycleBank. The company said 15,000 households in Hamilton, Walker and Catoosa counties served by Allied Waste of Chattanooga will now be enrolled in the rewards for recycling program. On March 22, Allied Waste began delivering new wheeled recycling carts to its customers in the three counties. Starting this week, customers will be given rewards points based on the weight of their recyclables. These points can be used at local and national businesses and online. For more information, visit
Cart financing scuttles RecycleBank-New Haven deal
Citing an inability to receive positive financing from recycling cart manufacturers, RecycleBank backed out of an agreement to bring its incentive-based recycling program to New Haven, Connecticut. Chief Administrative Officer for New Haven, Robert Smuts, said that the 10-year contract with RecycleBank went beyond what it normally does with cities — where the municipality pays for some portion of equipment costs and the company receives a set percentage of landfill tipping fee savings — and was going to pay for 100-percent of startup costs. In exchange for RecycleBank paying for all of the RFID-embedded recycling carts for the 34,000 households that were to be part of the program, the company was going to get 100 percent of the tip fee savings for the first five years of the deal. "We got the local legislative approval for the deal," Smuts told Resource Recycling, "Drew up the contract, sent it to [RecycleBank] and they just never signed it. They couldn't line up the financing to do it as they had planned to."
The company confirmed this scenario. "RecycleBank was initially quoted attractive financing rates from the cart manufacturer," said Recycle Bank’s Melody Serafino. "However, they did not come through and deliver on the terms they had provided to us when we applied for financing once the deal was approved by the New Haven Council." Both parties say that, if financing terms are met in the future, the break-up needn't be permanent. "Should the economics revert back to what was originally quoted, we would be happy to revisit the New Haven community," said Serafino. In the interim, New Haven is moving on with a new, three-year phased plan. "We're buying 96-gallon recycling toters for covered households" over the next three years, said Smuts, with approximately $1.5 million in city funds.
RecycleBank´s Houston program to add 54,000 homes
March 8 -- RecycleBank´s residential program in Houston will expand to an additional 54,000 homes this April. A pilot program of 22,000 homes had been under way in the city since last year. The city decided to expand the program in the current budge year after seeing savings in landfill fees as residents recycled more through the program.
In four months of program participation, the 22,000 households diverted 3.3 million pounds of waste from the landfill, RecycleBank data shows. The city has saved close to $44,000 in landfill disposal costs due to the increased recycling, city officials said. "We’re saving money by not sending as much waste to the landfills," said Solid Waste Management Department Director Harry Hayes. "That’s creating a wheel of savings for Houston, allowing us to further expand the automated recycling program to other Houston households. RecycleBank measures the weight of recyclable materials in special 96-gallon recycling carts, and then credits reward points to the accounts of participating residents based on the weight in the cart. These reward points can be traded in for discounts at local and national retailers. When fully implemented, 76,000 Houston households will be enrolled in the program. The first phase of Houston’s RecycleBank program was sponsored in part by Alcoa and Texas Instruments and through a grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council.
RecycleBank, Los Angeles start recycling pilot program
Feb. 23 -- RecycleBank and the City of Los Angeles have started a new recycling pilot program for 15,000 city households.
The 12-month pilot program is being conducted along selected routes in the West Valley and North Central sections of the city.
"The City of Los Angeles has worked tirelessly to ensure that recycling is accessible to every single resident. Los Angeles´ ambitious environmental agenda is one of the reasons why we already recycle more than any other big city in America and why we will be the cleanest, greenest big city in America," Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa said.
The city is currently developing a zero waste plan, he noted, adding that reaching that goal means building partnerships that access outside resources to boost recycling and waste diversion.
RecycleBank measures the amount of material recycled in a community and converts that amount into points that can be redeemed for rewards at hundreds of local and national RecycleBank Reward Partners. Points can be donated to local school as well.