RecycleBank
Quick post…
Reminiscent of some scenarios which I first described last December for my second review, RecycleBank pays you to recycle. In return for recycling, you get RecycleBank Dollars which you can spend at “participating retailers”. As it states in the FAQ section, “RecycleBank generates revenue by helping cities avoid landfill disposal fees.”
The New York Times was running an article on RecycleBank, but it’s since disappeared into the depths of the Grey Lady’s archives. If you want to pay $3.95, you can read it too…
The only thing I’m uncomfortable with is the extremely unabashed message of “recycling = access to shopping” as advertised throughout the site. Responsible consumption is just as important as responsible recycling, particularly because considered choices at the moment of purchase can ultimately reduce the need for recycling in the first place.
But if you’re a company which makes its money off of recycling materials, then of course you’re not going to be encouraging your customers to exercise restraint when purchasing things.
Simon King wrote:
Here is a link to the NYT article without buying it: http://tinyurl.com/lr9hm. I’m enjoying the blog, especially as I think about how sustainability might relate to my thesis work at Carnegie Mellon next year. Thanks.
Posted on 09-Mar-06 at 3:59 am | Permalink