The City of Alcoa Public Works and Engineering Department announced today it is offering residents the opportunity to reward themselves for their recycling efforts. Alcoa homeowners and small businesses will soon be receiving a letter explaining the new RecycleBank program provided by Waste Connections, the City’s curbside recycling contractor and local vendor for RecycleBank.

In October 2008, the City expanded its recycling program by accepting a wider range of recyclable materials. Thanks to Waste Connections’ switch to “single-stream” recycling, additional materials such as mixed paper, all #1 through #7 plastics, and cardboards may now be placed curbside for collection. This program has proved to be widely accepted by homeowners as illustrated by the chart below showing the increased tonnage since its inception.

The City of Alcoa and Waste Connections are now offering the RecycleBank program. RecycleBank allows homeowners to earn “RecycleBank Points” that may then be used for discounts at area merchants. Participating residents in the RecycleBank program have realized savings of $130–$240 a year.

RecycleBank is a 3-step process – recycle, report and reward. The more one recycles, the more one earns. Customers who sign-up to receive the RecycleBank service receive a wheeled recycling cart embedded with a computer chip. When picked up, the recycling truck records the weight of the cart and transmits (reports) it wirelessly to an online account for the customer. The customer’s account builds points that are redeemed for discounts / gift cards from area merchants; thus the rewards. RecycleBank points accrue month-to-month and year-to-year for as long as one remains in the RecycleBank program. RecycleBank points expire only if there is no activity in a member’s account for over 6 months.

In order to provide this program for the City of Alcoa, Waste Connections requires at least 1,500 Alcoa customers commit to a 12-month contract before the RecycleBank plan is implemented. Interested residents and small businesses willing to commit to the program are asked to sign and return their letter of commitment to the City of Alcoa by Friday, July 16th. While there was no additional cost to the city for expanded 2008 program, RecycleBank participants will have a $3 monthly subscription fee added to their utility bill for the new service.

But remember, RecycleBank rewards the recycler. The average RecycleBank household receives about $15 – $20 per month in rewards. That’s a 5:1 return on your “investment” not counting the convenience of the wheeled cart instead of the current bins. RecycleBank points are redeemable for discounts at over 2300 RecycleBank partners. National partners include Wal-Mart, Olive Garden, McDonalds, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ruby Tuesdays and more (see www.recyclebank.com). In addition, RecycleBank will also be contacting local merchants to add as partners.

Other east Tennessee communities already participating in the RecycleBank program include Jefferson City, Oak Ridge, and Knoxville. For comparison, subscription service in other communities runs over $6 per month per resident. Again, participants in the Alcoa program will pay only $3 per month.

For RecycleBank participants, the curbside recycling service will change from weekly to every other week. That’s another convenience. As with the current curbside service, there will be no need to separate recycled materials. Everything is placed in the cart: #1 - #7 plastics; newspapers & inserts; aluminum, steel & tin cans; glass (all colors); plastic bags; corrugated cardboard & boxboard; magazines; junk mail; office paper; phone books; and file folders. Weekly recycling of the recycle bin will continue for those choosing not to participate in RecycleBank.

Residents can learn more about acceptable and unacceptable materials at the Waste Connection website, www.WasteConnectionsTn.com and the RecycleBank program at www.recyclebank.com. Questions may also be directed to Alcoa’s Sanitation Services Division at 380-4815.

Alcoa’s Mayor, Don Mull, commended all those who recycle and urged all Alcoa residents and small businesses to join the RecycleBank program. “This is a wonderful opportunity to reduce what is sent to our landfill while making our City greener and lessening our impact on the environment. I hope that all Alcoa residents and small business owners will take advantage of this new program to reward themselves while living a more green lifestyle.”