eBay and RecycleBank Align to Reward Consumers
RecycleBank, a recycling rewards and loyalty program, is joining with eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, to reward consumers for recycling and reusing what already exists in the world today.
The program rewards people for positive green actions (currently the recycling of trash and electronics) and seeks to create a greener economy with key partners across the United States. In just five years, the model has proven its success; on average, recycling volumes increase two to five times and members across the country earn hundreds of dollars in reward value.
The eBay collaboration brings consumers online, offering 50 RecycleBank Points for joining eBay’s Green Team community. The Green Team draws its strength from the eBay community and encourages consumers to commit to using what exists in the world today. Additionally, members will soon be able to use their points for discounts on eBay purchases, making reuse even more appealing.
“Our relationship extends the power of eBay and the eBay Green Team to reward the greener actions that more and more consumers are taking every day,” said Amy Skoczlas Cole, director of the eBay Green Team. “Thousands of eBay sellers have built successful businesses by recycling, re-using, and re-selling products that already exist and may otherwise have ended up in landfills. Our relationship with RecycleBank offers an innovative way to encourage and reward green-conscious consumers who are looking for more sustainable ways to shop.”
In an effort to highlight the environmental benefit of reuse, eBay commissioned proprietary research in early 2009 that measured the carbon savings of specific items available on eBay.com and found that:
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choosing a new-to-you blender saves 95 percent of the CO2 needed to produce a new one,
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selecting a refurbished smart phone saves the energy equivalent of driving 186 miles, and
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choosing a classic, previously loved watch saves the energy equivalent of 39 days of refrigerator use,
The eBay community of 90 million buyers and sellers has reused an estimated $100 billion worth of goods since 1998. RecycleBank’s growing community has facilitated—to date—a resource impact equivalent to saving over 4.3 million trees and more than 289 millions of gallons of oil.