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Program Rewards For Keeping Trash Out Of Landfill

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Oct 6, 2009 6:49 pm US/Mountain

Program Rewards For Keeping Trash Out Of Landfill

Written by Environmental Specialist Paul Day

Reporting
Paul Day
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) ― A new household recycling program just arriving in Colorado rewards customers based on how much trash they keep out of the landfill.

"What our program does that's different than others is it incentivizes people to recycle," claimed Kim Jordan, Regional Manager of RecycleBank.

The program has already operated successfully in 21 other states but is just being rolled out this week in Colorado.

"In these tough times this program is going to help people in this community save money," said Dave LeClair, Sales Manager for Waste Connections of Colorado.

Waste Connections has an exclusive contract with RecycleBank.

The program is available for free to existing Waste Connection customers in 10 northern Colorado communities -- Brighton, Broomfield, Erie, Firestone, Frederick, Fort Lupton, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior and Westminster.

Retired Brighton resident Don Beckerman is participating and is glad of it.

"I think that's what people need is an incentive to do this, at least most people probably do," said Beckerman.

Beckerman took delivery of his distinctive recycling container on Monday as did many of his neighbors. Written on the orange lid are instructions for what to -- and what not to -- recycle. On the container's side is a small embedded chip. It's how RecycleBank keeps track of what Beckerman recycled.

When the collection truck comes by every other week, it weighs the container and, using the chip, codes it to Beckerman's account.

Based on the weight of what he keeps out of the landfill, Beckerman will be issued "rewards." They're good for discounts at restaurants, grocery stores and retailers.

"The average recycler is earning about $20 in rewards per month or $240 per year," explained Jordan.

Jordan told Beckerman if, for whatever reason, he's unable to use all the rewards, they can be donated to local charities.

This fall Waste Connections hopes to make RecycleBank available to 5,000 existing customers.

It will likely expand in Colorado if other parts of the U.S. are any indication. In states where RecycleBank is already operating, communities report recycling rates have doubled or tripled, according to Jordan.

Details of the new program will be discussed at a VIP luncheon hosted Wednesday by RecycleBank and Waste Connections at the Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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