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In the US, RecycleBank has partnered with Waste Connections to bring recycling rewards to Southaven, Mississippi - a suburb south of Memphis.
RecycleBank is a rewards programme that motivates citizens to take greener actions such as household recycling by rewarding them with points that are redeemable for rewards from local and national retailers, restaurants, pharmacies, grocers, and other merchants.
Southaven joins more than 300 participating RecycleBank communities, and the programme currently claims membership of more than 1 million people across 25 US states and the United Kingdom.
Currently, Southaven residents only have the option to recycle at one of the city's existing 'recycling convenience' centres. When the household recycling programme launches in October 2010, residents will receive new 96 gallon recycling carts, which provide a new way to recycle (so-called 'single stream', in which all recyclables go into a single container, with no need for sorting in the home).
"RecycleBank aims to create a culture that encourages people to take simple steps toward greener lifestyles," said RecycleBank's vice president, Fred Hannon.
City Mayor, Greg Davis, added: "These larger recycling carts will allow citizens to recycle much more than they do now, and the great part is that they will be rewarded based on the amount they recycle."
Similar to frequent flyer programmes, the more a family recycles, the more RecycleBank Points that household earns. The carts are equipped with special tags that connect the physical address with individual RecycleBank accounts. Earning points happens relatively quickly, with 1 pound of waste material being equivalent to 2.5 points.
Each time a household recycles, the amount is recorded and converted into RecycleBank Points, which can be redeemed online for rewards from hundreds of businesses in more than 20 categories, including automotive, health & beauty, beverages, entertainment, food & grocery, restaurants, and sports & recreation.
Redemption partners currently include brands such as Nature Made, Coca-Cola, CVS/pharmacy, Huggies, McDonald's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Dick's Sporting Goods, among others. In the coming months, RecycleBank will work to get local Southaven businesses involved in the rewards programme as well. Waste Connections is also hoping to partner with other surrounding communities in the greater Memphis area.
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