A New York-based company wants to reward Chicagoans for helping save the environment.
Starting this month, RecycleBank is offering a reward points program to about 10,000 households with blue carts in the 5th, 8th and 19th Wards with the goal of increasing recycling rates.
Participants will have their recyclables weighed at pick up. RecycleBank’s reward system converts the pounds into points, which can then be redeemed online for rewards and gift cards. One pound equals 2.5 points, so, for example, 16 pounds of recyclables would net 40 points, which can be redeemed for a $4 discount off a $20 purchase at CVS.
How does RecycleBank know how to distribute the points? The blue carts involved in the rewards program have been retrofitted with ID tags to track individual recycling activity.
RecycleBank’s goal is to divert 600 tons of waste in six months from the 10,000 participating homes, said Atul Nanda, RecycleBank’s vice president in the Midwest region.
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If the program proves successful, the company plans to roll out the program to 38,000 households in the three wards, he said.