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Beginning July 1, a citywide initiative offered through the Streets    Department will provide Chestnut Hill residents with the opportu-   nity to earn incentives for recycling.  The initiative, approved by City Council in January, has been rolling out in collection districts across the city since February. As of July 1, incentives will be available to all 550,000 city households. 

Implementation for the rewards program is provided by a company called RecycleBank. David Kinsey, Community Affairs Director for RecycleBank spoke to the Chestnut Hill Community Association Board of Directors  on Thursday, May27 about the program.

Philadelphia was the birthplace of the recycling rewards concept and the first pilot programs were conducted right here in Chestnut Hill and West Oak Lane.  After the initial pilot, the program was expanded to communities in New Jersey and Delaware. 

“RecycleBank now services 26 states including households in the United Kingdom,” Kinsey said. The program serves 1 million households (roughly 2 million people).   

  The success of the pilot program exceeded expectations.  In the Chestnut Hill area, participation in recycling rose to 90 percent.  Residents in West Oak Lane, where recycling participation was in the single digits, exceeded 95percent. 

Two points are earned for every pound of recycled material, distributed evenly to all participants.  In addition, a trash reduction bonus will be applied to all people who participate in the program if they can reduce trash as well – one point for every pound of trash reduced.  Points are redeemed as discounts at businesses all over the area.  According to Kinsey, there are more than 25 participating businesses along Germantown Avenue alone. 

“What our model has proven time and again, is that when we give folks something of value, we tend to do better,” said Kinsey.  “80 percent of what we’re discarding is recyclable.” 

The new program will use an RFID (radio frequency ID) sticker, an advance in technology beyond the device used in the initial pilot program. Once participants receive the sticker, it can be attached to the recycling container and scanned by a device on the back of the truck when the material is collected. This is a different technology from the marker used in the pilot program, which will not work. Participants in the pilot program will have to reapply to get the sticker. 

The city, which pays $65 per ton in disposal fees, could potentially save $1.5 million in the first year alone.  Last year, the city disposed of 640,000 tons of trash.  Savings are the result of reduced landfill disposal fees, as well as money earned from the sale of recyclable materials.  The current rate is $26 per ton in recycled materials. 

“That number is getting better every day the economy gets better,” Kinsey said. 

RecycleBank simply manages the rewards program. They don’t own any trucks, and they don’t handle any waste. They simply oversee the points program, which applies to residential addresses only. Because the city does not provide recycling service to commercial properties, and because apartment buildings of six or more units are seen as commercial by the city – RecycleBank rewards points are not applicable to residents of such buildings. 

To sign up for the program, go to www.PhillyRecyclingPays.com and click “get started now,” or call 1-888-769-7960.