Set up in Philadelphia in 2004, RecycleBank has gone from working in just a few streets to having more than 150,000 customers in nine states. Over a million more are signed up and waiting to get started. The premise is simple. Households earn vouchers based on how much waste they recycle. These can be redeemed at a wide range of shops. Authorities also benefit because they have to pay less for landfill, while recycling companies make more money from processing and retailers improve their environmental credentials.
IAS is working with RecycleBank to launch the brand across the UK. With the first borough signed up in Maidenhead and Windsor, a regional PR campaign was launched and households were communicated via direct mail to activate their account online. Results to date are more than promising. Coverage has included a two-minute news feature on prime time news programme, ITV Meridian. BBC Radio Berkshire featured news comments throughout the morning bulletins on launch day. Also on the day of the launch, The Daily Telegraph had a news feature on RecycleBank. Maidenhead Advertiser contained interviews with residents and key parties online. A front cover, double-page spread profile interview and feature on the trial scheme launch were included in MRW. And even the UK’s leading children’s news programme, NewsRound that’s aired on BBC2, covered the scheme. Results from the direct mail show more than 50% of recipients activated their accounts to start enjoying the rewards.