Feb 2, 2007 11:51 am US/Eastern
Everett Offering Cash Incentive To Recycle
by Ken Barlow
EVERETT (WBZ) ―
Here's something that sounds too good to be true: You could earn money from the things you're throwing away.
Everett is one local community that's ready to try this new approach to recycling.
Cities and towns are willing to do try anything as they face increasing costs to get rid of garbage, and they can help the environment at the same time.
As Everett's recycling coordinator Jon Norton watches the weekly trash pick up, he sees a lot of items that should be recycled get put out with the regular trash.
"They have to put their newspapers, junk mail, and magazines into paper bags, they have to take their cardboard and flatten it out and people, they just don't want to be bothered," said Norton.
That's a big waste of money for Everett.
Recycling costs about half as much as traditional trash collection and is also much friendlier for the environment. Consider that for every ton of paper recycled, 17 trees are saved.
Despite the benefits, only about one in five households in the state currently recycles.
Now a company called Recyclebank is about to come to Massachusetts. They have a completely new approach to that almost sounds too good to be true.
In a promotional video, company president Ron Goen describes their business model:
"Every household in our recycle program receives a Recyclebank container that has a chip imbedded in it. There's a mechanical arm in our truck that picks up your container, reads the chip, identifies that your home recycled and how much your home recycled, and we translate how much your home recycles into Recyclebank dollars."
That means you get credit to shop at stores like Target and Starbucks. The average family earns about $400 a year.
Everett officials hope the program will inspire more residents to recycle.
Everett mayor John Hanlon says it's a chance for the city to save money. Recyclebank makes its money by splitting the town's savings on trash disposal.
The mayor likes that formula. "If this is successful, and I hope it will, I think that you will see a stampede, that other cities and towns are just going to realize that its a win-win situation."
Everett isn't the only community around here that's about to do this program. Worcester plans to start this summer and Somerville is also taking a look at it as well.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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