Article:
Letters: Incentives to recycle will green up Phila.
Philly.com
by Katie Edwards
Oct 30, 2009
More than three years ago, the Recycling Alliance of Philadelphia began petitioning the city of Philadelphia to implement weekly, single- stream, incentive-based recycling citywide. More than 13,000 signatures were collected, including Mayor Nutter's, in support of these changes. As of today, Philadelphia has implemented two of these three steps, which have dramatically helped make recycling easier and more efficient. Incentive-based recycling is the last step, and an important one in helping us reach the goal of becoming the greenest city in America.
The city has now received a $14.1 million energy efficiency grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, which includes money to help bring incentive-based recycling to Philadelphia. The city has contracted with RecycleBank, a local company that has created a successful rewards program in many cities in the United States, to implement a program in Philadelphia.
With single-stream recycling in place, citywide incentive-based recycling has the ability to dramatically increase our recycling rate beyond the current 15 percent, and save the city millions of dollars in tipping fees. Providing residents with recycling incentives, such as coupons to local grocery stores, will provide the motivation many individuals need to start participating, and the community-based model will spur peer pressure to do the right thing.
Katie Edwards
Project coordinator
Clean Air Council, Philadelphia