I just came across this interesting article on The Wise Marketer this week that mentioned a company called RecycleBank, a US-based consumer rewards program that motivates people to recycle. This is a great idea. I would summarize their mission as Rewards for Good. Environmental issues are at the forefront of the political scene with issues such as pollution, global warming, deforestation, among others taking the spotlight. RecycleBank has found tremendous interest by public interest groups and governmental bodies who want to promote more environmentally-conscious consumerism. I’m not exactly sure how they make money as a for-profit organization, but the basis for their business model is very compelling. They use a weight system whereby garbage collectors weight recycled materials and then reward the individual or family with a certain number of RecycleBank dollars, which can be redeemed for incentives at a large network of retailers participating in the system. I think it’s worth checking out, considering it’s an interesting spin on conventional loyalty programs. I’m looking forward to these guys coming to my neighborhood to promote recycling. I’ll definitely sign-up.
