Philadelphia Working To Pump Up Its Recycling Rewards Program

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Today is "America Recycles Day," and here in Philadelphia activists are looking for a few good volunteers -- to boost participation in a city-run recycling program.

The Philadelphia Streets Department runs what is called the "Philadelphia Recycling Rewards Program," which gives shopping coupons to residents in neighborhoods that have the highest recycling rates.

Now, two local groups -- RecycleNow and the RecycleBank -- are looking for volunteers to go door-to-door to get people to sign up.

Christine Knapp is with RecycleNow.

"We have people who are signing up their neighbors because they know the more their neighbors recycle, the more they get rewarded," she says.  "So what we're doing is finding more people like that out there.  We're training them, we're giving them materials, and we're telling them we need more people."

She says already more than 100,000 residents have signed up for the program.  Participation is recorded with a bar code sticker placed on your recycling bin.

More information is at phillyrecyclingpays.com.

Reported by KYW City Hall Bureau Chief Mike Dunn.