City residents can cash in by recycling

City residents can receive green for going green under a Nutter administration recycling program set to go citywide next July.

By recycling glass, paper, soda cans, etc., folks will be able to earn reward points that'll be redeemable toward discounts or gift cards at about 140 local and national retailers, as well as at a few nonprofits. That means residents can use their points for discounts, gift cards or charity donations. (The program hopes eventually to include Philadelphia schools as a choice for donations.)

Mayor Nutter announced the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program, a partnership between the Streets Department and RecycleBank, a Philadelphia-based company, at the Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood Action Center on Diamond Street near 28th.

"It's an opportunity to put real money in the hands of Philadelphians at a time when people really do need it," Nutter said. "This is a triple win all the way around."

The No. 1 win these days is savings, and Philadelphia saves money when residents recycle, he said. The city pays $65 for every ton of refuse sent to a landfill but only 33 cents for every ton that is recycled.

The program is expected to raise the city's diversion rate - the amount of recyclable materials diverted away from landfills - to 20 percent by 2011 and 25 percent by 2015, the mayor said. It's currently just 15.6 percent.

And the recycling-rewards program can reset the buttom on how residents view recycling. "We have to change the mindset and the culture here in the city about how we think about trash," Nutter said.

"If you have something in your hand, you have to think about where you're putting that. If it's going into the trash, it's 65 dollars a ton," he said. "If you put it in a recycling bucket, now you're actually going to get money back. Anybody here doesn't need any money?" Nutter asked the crowd, many of whom chuckled.

The monthly rollouts will be as follows: North Philadelphia in February, Lower Northeast, Frankford and Logan in March; West and Southwest Philadelphia in April; Center City and South Philadelphia in May; Northeast Philadelphia in June; Northwest Philadelphia in July.

To sign up for a rewards account, go to www.phillyrecyclingpays.com. Or call rewards customer affairs at (888) 769-7960.