Houston To Expand RecycleBank To More Than 100,000 Households
Celebrates a Year of Automated Recycling; Recycling Efforts Allow for Expansion of Rewards-for-Recycling Program
Houston, TX - Mayor Parker's Sustainability Director Laura Spanjian, Solid Waste Management Department Director Harry Hayes, Council Member Wanda Adams and other City officials announced recently that 30,000 additional Houston households have received new 96-gallon recycling carts with the rewards-for-recycling program RecycleBank. RecycleBank measures the amount of materials recycled within the community, then converts that amount into points which members can use to redeem online at RecycleBank.com for groceries, gift cards, merchandise, entertainment, and more at hundreds of participating local and national merchants.
"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," Spanjian said. "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."
In an effort to encourage more recycling and greener behavior, the City first partnered with RecycleBank in November 2009 as part of the Automated Recycling Program, rolling out single-stream recycling carts to more than 20,000 homes. Single-stream recycling, takes the hassle out of having to sort recyclables and place them in separate bins. From November 2009 through October 2010, Houston residents have recycled approximately 12,000 tons of material – that's over 24 million pounds diverted from landfills.
"This program has so many benefits for so many people and due in part to the great efforts over the past year by our residents, it has allowed us to further expand our Automated Recycling Program to other Houston households." Hayes said. "Rewards-for-recycling is good for the local economy as well. RecycleBank members can redeem their earned points with local businesses and restaurants, providing economic development and involving the local business community in the recycling effort."
Spanjian, Hayes and other City officials, along with RecycleBank, hosted a press conference today in Houston to celebrate a full year of automated recycling with rewards and to announce the expansion (54,000 households in April of this year and another 30,000 this December). Now, more than 100,000 Houston households will have single-stream recycling with rewards from RecycleBank. This expansion shows Houston participants are clearly making large strides toward being consistently proactive about their recycling habits.
"The success of the Houston program indicates that recycling is truly one of the most important ways we can contribute to the health and sustainability of the planet," RecycleBank Vice President Fred Hannon said. "We applaud the efforts of the residents who have embraced the program and look forward to servicing the entire City of Houston."
RecycleBank has a proven record of accomplishment, helping to double—even triple—recycling rates in more than 500 communities across 28 states and in the United Kingdom. In 2010, RecycleBank expanded its recycling rewards program to more than 50 communities across the country and in the U.K. Over the past year alone, residents in RecycleBank communities, which include major cities like Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, have recycled more than 350,000 tons. Even more impressive, since 2005, RecycleBank communities have recycled over 550,000 tons of material.
With RecycleBank, residents earn points each time they recycle. They can use their earned points at RecycleBank.com for rewards. Participating local businesses include Jamaica House Cuisine & Culture, CiCi's Pizza, Denny's, Dunkin' Donuts, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Niko Niko's, Smoothie King, Subway, Triple Toys and Zuma Fun Center. National partners include Bed Bath & Beyond, Coca-Cola®, Half Price Books, Old Navy, Randalls and Staples. A complete listing of all participating retailers can be found at RecycleBank.com.
First pick up for the additional 30,000 households is slated for the week of December 6, 2010. For more information about the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department and its services, please visit www.HoustonSolidWaste.org.
SOURCE: RecycleBank