Politics & Government
Trappe Residents Earn Through New Recycling Program
Turning trash into cash has a new twist in Trappe as households have the opportunity to turn recyclables into points.
Filling up recycling bins in can lead to filling up your wallet in savings. Recycle Bank offers those who live in Trappe Borough the opportunity to earn points that can be redeemed for products, discounts and coupons.
“In August 2008, the online program caught the attention of Trappe residents. They forwarded the information to Borough Hall,” said Trappe Borough Manager Jacqui Guenther.
The program was recently made available in the area. At the , Guenther requested permission from council to inform Allied Waste of interest in participating. She explained the program as follows:
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“Allied Waste will continue to pick up recycling as usual. They will weigh the tonnage every month, and convert the weight into points. The points would then be distributed to the residents who recycled, based on how many residents recycled for each week in that month."
The most popular coupons on the site range from 15 to 100 points. One point is equal to 2.5 pounds of recycling. In 2010, Trappe recycled 611,140 pounds. The more Trappe residents recycle, the more points each household can earn.
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Interested households should create an account using an e-mail address and a chosen password. Users must then wait for a confirmation e-mail (this could take several hours) allowing them to link back to the site to begin to accumulate points.
It is up to residents to go into their account each time recycling is picked up. Points are awarded only by clicking the “Yes, I recycled” box. Recycle Bank does try to make that process as easy as possible by providing an app for smartphones, iPhones, and iPads. Users have up to four weeks to report a pickup.
The rewards available include free food at restaurants such as , and Ruby Tuesdays, discounts at retailers like Macy's, and Sears, and coupons for products such as Ziploc bags, Coca Cola and Brita.
With over 100 rewards available, residents in Trappe will soon be saving money by recycling. Get the whole family involved and turn these acceptable recycled items into treasure.