RecycleBank is paying people to recycle.   The new service is providing incentives in selected areas to get people to recycle more.   The process couldn’t be more simple.   You put your recycling materials in special carts provided by RecycleBank.   The carts are then weighed when picked up by RecycleBank.   Then the weight of the materials you send out are credited to your account in the form of rewards redeemable with participating companies, similar to airline miles or credit card rewards.   Partner companies who accept the credit currently include Coca-Cola, Stonyfield Farm, Kraft and PetSmart.

Most of us probably just recycle as a matter of habit, no payment needed or expected, so it’s easy to forget that all these raw materials passing through our homes as packaging are actually worth something.   Early on, recycling of bottles was an industry standard in many states, with the deposit system providing the incentive for returning used glass bottles and cans to the grocer.   Those deposits are still in place of course however their amounts, generally 5 cents, occasionally 10 cents, have not gone up with inflation.   However in certain cities there are people who make their livelihood through scavenging through trash for recyclable materials then returning them to recycling centers for payment.   I remember a Chinese-American woman on my block in New York who would come through with a shopping cart filled with enormous bags of recycled materials, at least twice her height, to redeem for payment.   She sported gear including special gloves to and active wear to assist in a job that she was obviously a pro at.

RecycleBank makes it a little simpler than all that though, while providing more modest gains with participating merchants.   You can takepart by checking out RecycleBank.

LINKS:

NY Daily News: 4 Ways to Earn Cash for Recycling

Plenty Magazine: Turning Your Trash Into Cash

Boston Globe: Residents find recycling has its just rewards