2005 Recycling Pilot Program Report

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Roseville could follow up on Ramsey County's campaign and reinforce ihe znessage to residents to save money by recycling more. Get Caught Recycling Other Minnesota government agencies are experimenting with random rewards for residents who recycle. Washington County parinered with the Minnesota Soft Drink Assaciation and the American Plastics Council on the Get Caught Recycling program. Under the program the County picked rautes and coordinated with the haulers as to what tinne they would be picked. Representatives from the County and the companaes then randomly checked bins for recyclables and awarded $100 to selected households that had plastic cantainers in their bin. According to Washington County the program's main benefit comes fronn. �e publicity. It uses money as a way to capture people's attention and then pxovides the opportunity to educate xesidents about the benefits of recycling. City Reward Pragrarns Cotiage Grove, Bayport and Oak Park Heights award gift certificates to residcnts who recycle. According to an article in the December 4, 2004 St. Paul Pioneer Press, in Cottage Grove, where the program has been around for about 20 years, two residen#s' names are drawn each week. City officials then go out to see if the residents set out any recycling material. If they do, they receive a$25 gift certificate for loca� businesses, said pnblic works managernent analyst Brian Voelker. It works much the same way in Oak Park Heights and in Bayport. Both cities draw names Heights does it twice a month, Bayport each week. Oak Park Heights shells out $25 to x'ecyclers while Bayport tops out the two a# $30. Both programs were introduced within the last decade or so. Burnsville has a modified "Get Caught Recycling" pzogram. Each ruly city staff select five hames with full recycling containers to receive a check and a gift basket containing products made with recycled material. The program has been featured in local newspapers, the city's newsletter and on the city's website. Philadelphia is conducting a pilot prograin to weight how much residents are recycling. According to the January 3, 2005 Waste News, in January the city began distributing 36-gallon single-stream recycling carts with bar codes and radio frequency identification tags embedded in the carts ("Philly offers recycling carrot," Waste News, January 3, 2005 pg 3). The city will deposit credits in a recycling bank account according to how much a household recycles. They will eam $5 far evezy 10 pounds of recyclables they set out on the curb, up to $25 per month. Residents can then redeem the credits for coupons at more than 50 participating businesses. 42 ----- Oak Park k�gure Twelve P6iladelphia Test Program