The City of Rochester Hills and Recyclebank Renew Partnership, Celebrate Five Years of Success

Rochester Hills, Mich. and NEW YORK, May 20, 2014 /3BL Media/ - The City of Rochester Hills, Mich. today announced that it has celebrated five successful years of partnership with Recyclebank®, the company that inspires and rewards smarter, everyday choices for a more sustainable future. The city also renewed the relationship for an additional five years which will allow it to continue offering residents Recyclebank’s recycling incentives program. Rochester Hills was the first community in the Midwest to offer Recyclebank’s program in an effort to help create a more sustainable community. 

Since 2008, Recyclebank, in partnership with Republic Services, and Rochester Hills have worked together to reward residents for taking more sustainable actions, like recycling, with discounts and deals at local and national businesses. At the time, Rochester Hills also expanded its household recycling program and implemented single stream collection, which allows residents to put all types of recyclable materials into a single bin. These recycling innovations, in concert with the recycling incentives program, led to a 323 percent increase in the pounds recycled since 2008.

 “Rochester Hills has made incredible strides in becoming the greenest city in Southeast Michigan. Through innovations like single-stream recycling and the Recyclebank incentives program, we’ve successfully made sustainable actions and education more accessible to everyone in our community, and as a result, exponentially increased recycling rates,” said Bryan K. Barnett, Mayor, Rochester Hills. “We look forward to the next five years working in partnership with Recyclebank to help our residents think twice before sending something to the landfill.”

Since 2009, residents have increased recycling to an average rate of 670 pounds per household per year with a 27 percent diversion rate. Overall, Rochester Hills has collected nearly 22 thousand incremental recycling tons since April 2009. Through its program, Recyclebank has also helped save residents money and stimulate the local economy. A combination of dollars saved by residents and dollars spent at local businesses as a result of reward redemption adds up to more than $1.9 million since January 2011.

 “When we work with a community as dedicated as Rochester Hills is to making sustainability a priority, an amazing partnership is formed and as team, we create a measurable impact,” said Paul Winn, senior vice president of client services, community solutions. “We congratulate Rochester Hills on its success and are committed to helping inspire residents to continue to live sustainably in the next five years and beyond.”

Rochester Hills schools have been longtime participants in Recyclebank’s Green Schools Program. Eight community schools have participated since the program’s inception. Green Schools awards grant money to schools to fund unique student projects that will green their classroom and community, such as a community garden or the implementation of in-school recycling efforts. This year, two Rochester Hills schools participated in the Green Schools Program. Both Meadow Brook Elementary and University Hills Elementary  proposed building community vegetable  and flower gardens to inspire a love of nature among students and help educate them on plants native to Michigan. Meadow Brook also proposed the use of rain barrels to water the garden and teach students about water conservation.

If not already a Recyclebank member, Rochester Hills residents can easily sign-up by visiting www.recyclebank.com/recycle and following the quick prompts to set up an account and verify their home address.

ABOUT ROCHESTER HILLS
For more information on Rochester Hills, Mich., visit https://www.rochesterhills.org/

ABOUT RECYCLEBANK
Recyclebank inspires and rewards smarter, everyday choices for a more sustainable future. It brings together people, businesses and communities to achieve real word impact. By participating in household recycling and learning how to live more sustainable lifestyles, more than4.5 million people earn points that translate into real savings for community and national brands. Recyclebank’s online shop, OneTwine.com, combines the company’s sustainability expertise and rewards program to help people choose products that are better for their home, their wallet and the planet. A Certified B Corporation, Recyclebank is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.Recyclebank.comor find us @Recyclebank or facebook.com/Recyclebank.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Brandon Pantano | Recyclebank
(212) 659-9934 | bpantano@recyclebank.com

Leah Conklin | Bateman Group for Recyclebank
347-382-9732 | recyclebank@bateman-group.com