Wouldn’t it be great if you could get paid to be green? That is the concept behind RecycleBank where people in Philadelphia (PA), Gloucester County (NJ) and Wilmington (DE) are getting paid to be green. While limited to these small areas today, there are plans to expand to the point where one day the opportunity to be paid to be green will be available in most places in the US.

To participate, all you do is sign up at the website. Once in the program, you will receive a recycle container with a bar code on it which is recorded by the recycling truck every time your recyclable material is picked up. You simply fill up your container with the recyclable goods on their list. The amount your home recycles is then translated into “RecycleBank Dollars” with each pick-up which can be spent at participating stores.

There are currently over 100 participating stores both on a national and on the local level. They include such big names as Staples, PetCo, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Target, Coca Cola, Patagonia to name just a few. The more you recycle, the more you earn although there is currently a 25 RecycleBank Dollars a month limit for recycling (there are extra bonuses available).

I personally think it’s a wonderful idea and hope that it spreads quickly. It’s always an added bonus when you can do activities that help save our resources and earn money at the same time.