Odds are, if you’re reading this blog, you don’t really need to be reminded to recycle. Odds are, your reward is in knowing you’re doing your part. But then again, what’s wrong with getting an actual reward for your responsible behavior? That’s the thinking behind RecycleBank, a New York-based startup that is making sure households get rewarded for recycling. With operations in nine east coast states (and plans to expand throughout the country), RecycleBank sends out garbage trucks that can accurately determine, using a sophisticated sorting machine and a high-tech scanning system, how much each household is recycling. That information is then transmitted to a web site, where households are awarded points that can be redeemed for discounts at stores like CVS and Rite-Aid and on brands such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Coca Cola, Dick’s, Green Mountain Coffee and more. So far so good!

In Wilmington, DE, recycling rates have jumped from 3% to 32% since RecycleBank’s launched its program there. In Everett, MA, recycling has seen a tenfold jump since the program began there in July. Nationwide, the recycling trend is on the up-swing, though only 32.5% of Americans actively recycle. Perhaps RecycleBank has hit upon the right way to inspire higher participation. Investors certainly think so, with $40 million of new capital invested in the company in the past year.

For more info, visit: RecycleBank, Newsweek