TOMRA Systems 聽ASA (TOMRA), a leading global provider of reverse vending machines (RVMs) and sensor-based sorting equipment, today announced that it has enhanced and expanded Greenbean, a bottle and can recycling incentive program for U.S. colleges and universities. Greenbean, which already includes seven institutions in the Northeast and Midwest, has now been expanded to include Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. As part of the expansion program, TOMRA has also launched a new and improved Greenbean website where students can go to track and manage their recycling points and rewards.
Greenbean makes it fun and easy for students to recycle their bottles and cans responsibly through TOMRA RVMs on campus. Every time a student inserts a bottle or can into a Greenbean RVM, he or she can enter an email address to link to a rewards account, accessible via the web. Students can save up points to earn rewards such as reusable grocery bags, gift cards and other prizes. Students can also choose to donate their points to local charities. In bottle deposit states, where used beverage containers are worth money, students can have the deposit cash transferred into a PayPal account.
In addition to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, participating colleges include Harvard University, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Merrimack College, Bentley University and University of Southern Indiana. Funding for the Carnegie Mellon Greenbean program comes from the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), an organization dedicated to protecting the environment for future generations through education, recycling, waste diversion programs and anti-litter campaigns. The PRC is working closely with Alcoa to provide grants to colleges in non-deposit states, helping them develop on-campus recycling programs for used beverage containers.
As part of the Greenbean expansion, each college will also receive a new UNO Promo model RVM, which features a 10-inch touch display screen, internet connectivity, and an upgraded user interface and experience. On campuses, the recycling machines are generally placed in student centers or other high-traffic areas, often with vibrant four-color wraps featuring the college logo or mascot. Consumer product companies, the school bookstore or other organizations can sponsor a machine, with contests and prizes to promote their products or services. 鈥淕reenbean is an innovative loyalty program that rewards students for recycling. It offers personalized incentives to drive engagement, and can even facilitate on-campus contests to generate excitement about recycling and other sustainability topics,鈥� said Ryan Drake-Lee, Director of Strategy and Commercial Software at TOMRA. 鈥淲e welcome discussions with retailers, consumer product companies or other organizations that would like to sponsor a Greenbean machine by providing gift cards or product giveaways in exchange for brand visibility and a dialogue with college students.鈥�
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