Recycling Could Mean Big Discounts To You

Reporting Jon Delano

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Out in Ross Township - and eight other North Hills communities - recyclable trash is picked up every week, but plastic bottles, newspapers, metals and glass are worth discounts to local residents who sign up for a program called Recyclebank.

"I just signed up for Recyclebank last night, in fact," Jerry Lynn of Ross told KDKA money editor Jon Delano. "I got a letter from Waste Management, and it looks like an interesting idea."

Residents in these communities got this letter, inviting them to sign up with Recyclebank to get points for everything recycled from their community.

"We help to create a sustainable future by partnering with cities, waste haulers, small businesses to incentivize green actions like recycling at home," says Erika Diamond, a spokesperson for Recyclebank.

The idea: give residents points for every pound of recycled trash collected in a particular community that can be redeemed for discounts on music, books, clothing, even resort stays in Key West.

"The more you recycle, the better we like it," says Scott Dellinger, the municipal recycling manager for Waste Management, which has partnered with the North Hills Council of Governments and Recyclebank.

"Our main goal is to recover as much material and avoid that landfill as much as possible," adds Dellinger.

After getting weighed to calculate the points for local residents, recycled trash gets dumped at a recycling facility. And then sorted into various types of recyclables for baling and sale to those who can reuse the materials.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure," says Dellinger.

And Recyclebank makes it your treasure, too.

"If that encourages someone to recycle more or someone who maybe isn't in to recycling that much and they will do it because of that, that's good," says Jill Herman, another Ross resident who has signed up with Recyclebank.

If your community is not yet part of this Recyclebank program, talk to your local municipal officials.

It's not too late to become part of the program, and the best time is when you waste management removal system is up for renewal.