The residents will be able to use the points earned by recycling from next month, under the terms of a deal announced today (May 24) by Coca-Cola and RecycleBank. The partnership agreement sees Coca-Cola becoming a top tier sponsor of RecycleBank in the UK – the Coca Cola Company became one of RecycleBank's first corporate partners when the initiative first started in Philadelphia in 2005.
From next month (June 2010), 60,000 households in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead participating in the RecycleBank programme will be able to redeem their RecycleBank Points to select from a variety of everyday rewards.
Under the scheme, the recyclables which are collected by contractor Veolia ES are weighed and points allocated to households for vouchers. Households which have registered for RecycleBank in the Royal Borough will be able to exchange their points for rewards and receive vouchers which can be redeemed at participating outlets to claim £1 off Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero products in a range of pack sizes.
Committed
Liz Lowe, Coca-Cola's citizenship manager said: “We are delighted to partner with RecycleBank in the UK building on our existing partnership with the scheme in the United States. As well as ensuring we recycle our own waste as a business, we are committed to encouraging our consumers to recycle theirs.
“Empty packaging isn't just waste, it's a valuable resource which can be used again and again through recycling. One of the most important ways in which we can get more recycled material to put back into our packaging is to encourage consumers to recycle. And schemes such as RecycleBank and Recycle Zones are important steps on our journey to realizing this vision.”
Sue Igoe, UK managing director of RecycleBank said: “RecycleBank is leading the charge towards environmental change on a daily basis. The trials in the UK have proven that by incentivising households, we can increase participation and frequency of recycling.”
Ms Igoe added: “It is fantastic to have such a huge household name as Coca-Cola on board as a national partner and top tier sponsor. This is a great reward for residents and will help to engage a wider audience which we hope will kick start mass recycling across the country. With the RecycleBank programme, everybody wins, the council, reward partners, residents and most importantly, the environment.”
Technology
RecycleBank's proprietary technology measures the amount of material recycled and then converts that amount into RecycleBank Points which can be redeemed for rewards at local and national partners. The company said today that more than 200 local and national businesses partner with RecycleBank in the UK.
A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola said: “The partnership aligns well with Coca-Cola's other work on recycling in the UK: Coca-Cola is investing in a nationwide scheme, in partnership with WRAP, to create 80 ‘Recycling Zones' by 2011, to make it easier for consumers to recycle soft drinks packaging when they're out and about.
“There are currently over 50 UK Recycle Zones in operation including in London and Southampton city centres, Thorpe Park, Legoland, Manchester Airport and Warwick University. They have collected over 65 tonnes of material to date. In September 2009 Coca-Cola launched a ‘Keep it Going, Recycle' campaign; the company's first ever ad campaign to encourage people in the UK to recycle more.”
Subscribe for free