Method and system for improving recycling through the use of financial incentives

1. A method of providing incentive to recycle comprising:

a. receiving recyclable materials from a first entity via a receptacle, the receptacle containing a source identification to associate the receptacle to the first entity;

b. reading, by a vehicle computer, the source identification of the receptacle at a time of collection of the recyclable materials from the receptacle;

c. determining, by inputting data to the vehicle computer, a quantity of the recyclable materials in the receptacle at the time of collection, the quantity of recyclable materials consisting of a quantitative measurement of all recyclable materials in the receptacle, independent of qualitative characteristics of individual recyclable materials within the recyclable materials;

d. creating, by the vehicle computer, a record comprising information indicative of (i) the receipt of recyclable materials and (ii) the quantity of the recyclable materials, and sending the record to a remote computer, the remote computer being associated with a second entity;

e. storing, by the remote computer, the record in a database accessible to the remote computer;

f. accepting the recyclable materials for recycling by placing the recyclable materials in a bulk material storage of a recycling pickup vehicle;

g. transforming the record into a credit using the remote computer and a reward rate algorithm, the credit being associated with the source identification and the first entity, wherein transforming the record into a credit comprises: using the remote computer and the reward rate algorithm to apply at least one reward rate selected from a number of different reward rates, the at least one reward rate being based on at least one demographic to which the first entity is a member;

h. the remote computer storing the credit in the database in association with a network-accessible account associated with the first entity;

i. receiving, from the first entity, a request to redeem the credit in exchange for a reward, the reward being usable at third party participating retailers for any of goods, services, coupons for goods or services, and other economic benefit, the third party participating retailers being entities other than the first and second entities.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source identification is an optically readable bar code.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source identification is a radio frequency transponder.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source identification is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source identification is provided as a geographic identification code.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quantity of the recyclable materials in the receptacle is determined by weighing the receptacle prior to accepting the recyclable materials for recycling, and subtracting the weight of the empty receptacle.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quantity of the recyclable materials in the receptacle is determined by measuring the volume of the contents of the receptacle.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reward rate algorithm is a function of the quantity of recyclable materials in the receptacle.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle computer comprises an on-board computer on the recycling pickup vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle computer comprises a hand-held computer.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the network comprises the Internet.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the entity can submit the request to redeem the credit by postal or electronic mail.

13. A recycling system, comprising:

a. a receptacle configured to for receive recyclable materials from a first entity, the receptacle containing a source identification to associate the receptacle to the first entity;

b. a recycling pickup vehicle having a bulk material storage configured to accept the recyclable materials for recycling by placing the recyclable materials in the bulk material storage;

c. a vehicle computer; and

d. a remote computer, wherein:

the remote computer is associated with a second entity,

the remote computer has access to a database,

the remote computer and vehicle computer are communicatively couple-able,

the vehicle computer is configured to:

read the source identification of the receptacle at a time of collection of the recyclable materials from the receptacle;

determine a quantity of the recyclable materials in the receptacle at the time of collection, the quantity of recyclable materials consisting of a quantitative measurement of all recyclable materials in the receptacle, independent of qualitative characteristics of individual recyclable materials within the recyclable materials; and

create a record comprising information indicative of (i) the receipt of recyclable materials and (ii) the quantity of the recyclable materials; and

send the record to the remote computer, and

the remote computer is configured to:

transform, using a reward rate algorithm, the record into a credit, the credit being associated with the source identification and the first entity, the reward rate algorithm configuring the remote computer to apply at least one reward rate selected from a number of different reward rates, the at least one reward rate being based on at least one demographic to which the first entity is a member;

store the credit in the database in association with a network-accessible account associated with the first entity; and

receive, from the first entity, a request to redeem the credit in exchange for a reward, the reward being usable at third party participating retailers for any of goods, services, coupons for goods or services, and other economic benefit, the third party participating retailers being entities other than the first and second entities.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the remote computer is in communication with the vehicle computer via a wireless radio frequency communications system.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the quantity of the recyclable materials in the receptacle is determined by weighing the receptacle prior to accepting the recyclable materials for recycling, and subtracting the weight of the empty receptacle.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the source identification is an optically readable bar code.

17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the source identification is a radio frequency transponder.

18. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the source identification is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

19. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the source identification is provided as a geographic identification code.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reward rate algorithm further determines an environmental impact from the record of the receipt of recyclable materials and the quantity of the recyclable materials.