Recycling Reward Programs

Guest Blogger - Katie

In an effort to encourage residents to continue and enhance their recycling efforts, some municipalities offer recycling reward incentives. Programs are advertised on Web sites and through brochures handed out on the recycling route. The programs are usually paid for by the municipality, sponsored by local businesses or included as part of the contract bid with haulers. The longer the incentive can be provided, the better.

Asheville
The city of Asheville and Curbside Management Inc. are jointly sponsoring the “Feed the Bin and Win” contest, which is giving away $100 a week for 16 weeks. Residents served by the city's curbside recycling program are eligible for the contest and can enter by submitting a completed enrollment card. Enrollment cards and a contest brochure are delivered to each house along a pre-determined collection route. Both are also available on the city Web site. Each week, one enrollment card will be randomly drawn. If the selected household sets out its recyclables and meets the recycling guidelines, then the resident will win $100. If the $100 is not won, the prize will roll over to the next week, giving the next household a chance to win $200.

Morehead City
Each month 10 addresses are randomly picked from the tax record and checked to see if those residents are recycling. The first one “caught” recycling is awarded a $50 cash voucher that is credited toward their solid waste bill. At the end of each year all the monthly winners’ names are placed into a hat. One is drawn to receive a $500 cash prize awarded by Waste Industries. The award was included in the original bid for solid waste services. Only those residents who participate in the city’s roll out cart collection service, which includes curbside recycling, are eligible for the “Recycling Rewards” program.

Winston-Salem T
he city’s Recycle Today program and Waste Management Inc. jointly sponsored a contest to promote household recycling with a "Feed the Bin and Win" contest. Residents of Winston-Salem, in single-family households that are served by the city's curbside recycling program, completed an enrollment form and mailed it to the mayor's office. Each week, one enrollment form was drawn. If that person's recycling was out by the curb, following the recycling guidelines, they won $100. If the person whose card was drawn did not set out their recycling that week, or it did not meet the guidelines, the amount rolled over and the next week the amount increased to $200. The program ran for 16 weeks.