[GreenYes] Re: RecycleBank

["retroworks" <ingenthron@no.address>]

On a less high tech basis, MA DEP ran some very successful "recycle
lottery" programs in the 1990s, randomly selecting houses with blue
bins properly set out, and awarding them ($200 cash, I think).

There was some evidence that it created a huge short-term effect on
set out rates, up over 40% in Somerville for 2 months or so.  While
some thought the program was weaker over the longer term, I always
thought a short term boost could be perfect when the recycling market
fluctuates anyway.  In fact, I advised Fred Prins to throw his 1995
paper windfall in to a recycling lottery program.  Instead, he offered
to pay the cities for material in return for giving him a longer, 10-
year contract, to pay for the material.  The cities enjoyed their
share of the windfall, but could not produce any more material with
it, and when demand levelled back off, Prins went bankrupt.

I think the lottery could be as effective and simpler than Recycle
Bank, as promising as the latter looks.  I would expect to find more
bricks and waterlogged ONP in the RB's commingled stream in the long
run.


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