The City of Alcoa announced today that a kickoff event is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at the Alcoa Municipal Building to celebrate the first day of the RecycleBank program. Representatives of the City of Alcoa and Waste Connections of East TN will be on hand to answer questions.

RecycleBank®, in a unique partnership with Waste Connections, Inc., announced today that it is coming to Alcoa, TN. Alcoa and is the third city in Tennessee to implement RecycleBank—a program that motivates people to take greener actions, such as home recycling, by rewarding them with points. RecycleBank Points are redeemable for rewards from national retailers, restaurants, pharmacies, grocers, and more. Alcoa joins hundreds of participating RecycleBank communities across 29 states and the United Kingdom.

“RecycleBank is helping to create a culture that encourages people to take simple steps toward greener lifestyles,” RecycleBank Vice President Atul Nanda said. “We’re excited to partner with Waste Connections and expand our services further to Tennessee, bringing valuable rewards to the families in Alcoa, while helping the city achieve environmental solutions.”

Beginning January 24, 2011, Waste Connections will deliver new 96-gal. recycling carts to over 800 residents of Alcoa who are currently recycling and have signed up for the program. RecycleBank enhances the City’s existing single stream recycling program in which all recyclables go into one container so that no sorting is required. The new, enhanced recycling program debuts Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 when Waste Connections begins its bi-weekly recycling collection schedule to subscribers.

“Alcoa looks forward to bringing this innovative recycling solution to residents,” Alcoa City Mayor Don Mull said. “The larger recycling carts will allow citizens to recycle much more than they do now, and the great part is that they will be rewarded for the amount they recycle.”

Alcoa residents who wish to take part in the RecycleBank program should call the Alcoa Public Works office at 380-4800 or go on line at www.cityofalcoa-tn.gov to start service with the RecycleBank Rewards Program.

“We’re excited about our continued service in Alcoa and encourage residents to recycle more with RecycleBank rewards,” Waste Connections Municipal Marketing Manager Doug McGill said. “It is a win-win situation—Alcoa will save money by sending less waste to the landfills and residents will reap rewards for recycling.”

Similar to frequent flier programs, the more a subscriber recycles, the more RecycleBank Points they can earn. The new carts are equipped with special tags that connect the customer’s address with their individual RecycleBank account. Each time a household recycles, the amount is recorded and converted into RecycleBank Points, which can be used to “shop” online at www.RecycleBank.com for rewards from hundreds of businesses in more than 10 categories, including Automotive, Beauty and Health, Beverages, Entertainment, Food and Grocery, Restaurants, and Sports and Recreation. Residents can redeem rewards with hundreds of RecycleBank partners, including The Coca-Cola Company®, Bed Bath & Beyond, CLIF BAR, Yoplait, Staples, Barbara’s, Green Works, McDonald’s, Ruby Tuesday, Olive Garden, Dick’s Sporting Goods and more.

“By recycling, residents have the ability to earn and redeem RecycleBank points for hundreds of dollars worth of rewards, discounts and merchandise each year,” McGill added. “With the tough economy, these savings translate into real value for Alcoa families. Plus, it’s nice to be rewarded for doing something right.”