Upload
loveamin1122
View
379
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
reporting on corporate social responsibility
A Letter from the CEOHow to Measure Making a DifferenceRecycleBank Mission StatementPleased to Meet YouThe RecycleBank FamilyShades of GreenThe 2008 TimelineStakeholdersRecycleBank and CSREnvironmental PerformanceSocial and Economic PerformanceEnvironmental EducationGRI Index TableClosing Remarks
47
57
913
23
6669
27
47
3033
63
41
Copyright © 2009 reCyCleBank, llC all rights reserved. eXCept as speCiFiCally perMitted herein, no part oF this Book May Be reprodUCed, distriBUted, transMitted, displayed, pUBlished or BroadCast in any ForM, or By any Means, WithoUt the prior Written perMission oF reCyCleBank, llC. Users are not perMitted to ModiFy, distriBUte, pUBlish, transMit or Create derivative Works oF this Book, or any Material in this Book.
4 5
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER / CEO
In 2008, RecycleBank continued to demonstrate that environmental action on a large scale can begin today. From urban to suburban areas, from lower to upper income neighborhoods, RecycleBank rewards households for recycling. Our service increased coverage from seven states to 15. RecycleBank also continued to make a huge impact on cleaning up the environment by diverting thousands of tons from landfills into the recycling stream and back into the manufacturing cycle, which resulted in significant savings of energy and our natural resources. RecycleBank further impacted local communities with our rewards program, returning more than $2 million of value back into cities and towns as a result of increased recycling. In addition, our Green Schools Program, a partnership with the Coca-Cola Company, recognized student’s efforts and gave $75,000 back to local schools for environmental education.
As we head into 2009, RecycleBank is focused on growth. We expect to triple the amount of households serviced, bringing the total members into the millions. We will expand the e-waste service we recently launched, initiate a green content section on our website to provide
our members with access to a wide range of environmental information, and expand our rewards program in other green areas. Most importantly, we will continue to demonstrate that ‘eco’ is as much a part of ecology as it is a part of economy by continuing to reward hundreds of thousands of households for recycling.
RecycleBank is a partnership of households, municipalities, local and national businesses, and haulers. We all work together to preserve our natural and economic resources by recycling. I would like to thank all of our partners for an exciting 2008 and for a strong platform for a successful 2009.
Ron GonenCo-FounderChief Executive Officer
6 7
HOW TO MEASURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The data represented in this report covers the 2008 calendar year. We use the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Guidelines, which provide a recommended framework and key indicators for sustainability reporting.
RecycleBank has done sustainability reporting since our first year in 2005. Each year, we have more and more of a compelling story about sustainability and green innovation to share. We continue to report yearly on these initiatives not to impress – and not to bore – but to have an honest and open dialogue between RecycleBank and all of our key stakeholders on our progress, our growth, our challenges, and our continued innovation.
Being an innovator means bringing a green lifestyle to the everyday household. The progress in this space has been tremendous – in wind, solar, hybrid technology, and energy; but we think that we also need to find things that people can do today to make a difference. Recycling is something that everybody can do regardless of their socio-economic standing or
8 9
whether they live in an urban or suburban environment. RecycleBank brings the environmental movement to the average household.Through our sustainability reporting, we, as a company, recognize the following:
» We are doing well in terms of our environmental responsibility and how we report it
» We better understand our company responsibilities and how we impact the world around us
» We better understand how the household impacts the environment and work to reduce that impact
» What are we doing well
» Where we can improve
» How we can attract and retain good talent
So, please sit back and enjoy our straight-shooting, honest look at ourselves, and remember it’s a journey we are very passionate about. We welcome your feedback and sharing of ideas.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
RecycleBank is the premier green rewards and loyalty program, motivating people to recycle and experience a greener lifestyle. The following guiding principals help us to achieve this: » Through education and innovation, make greener lifestyles available
by servicing every person in every community
» Provide a great, safe, diverse, and fair place to work
» Recognize that profitability is critical to our success and our ability to promote social and environmental responsibility
FORPROFIT
NONPROFIT
FORBENEFIT
Paul Miller Brand & Marketing Project Coordinator
3
10 11
4,355,906
Tons of recyclables taken from the waste stream
Number of states serviced
Dollars received by local schoolsfor environmental programs
Number of RecycleBank reward partners
The amount of RecycleBank Points redeemed for rewards
The number of people serviced
Paid volunteer days employees receive
The amount of dollars received in Venture Capital funding
Minimum amount of dollars saved for our Members through Point redemption
46,298.27
1575,000
1,08846,145,150
651,000
4
30,000,000
12 13
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
RecycleBank rewards households for the amount that they recycle. It’s incredibly simple. We sign a contract with a city or hauler to provide recycling service. Every home gets a large recycling cart that has an ID chip embedded in it. We retrofit the trucks with technology to pick up recycling containers, read the chips, identify that a home recycled, and gauge how much was recycled. We take that amount and translate the pounds into RecycleBank Points. Members can then log onto RecycleBank.com and see each week that they recycled, how much was recycled, and how many Points they earned. Members can then redeem those Points for shopping at more than 1,000 local, regional, national, and online stores. We’ve created a real time reward for the amount that a home recycled. Members feel good, and best of all, they’ll recycle more.
“So the homeowners save money, cities save money as disposal costs go down and RecycleBank wins by collecting a share of the cities savings.”
– Marc Gunther Fortune Magazine
Alex Macht Cart Maintenance
3
14 15
BUSINESS DEvELOPMENT
New ideas are additional ways for us to grow and profit. They allow us to remain ahead of the competition for us to sell and cross-sell our goods to customers. Business development allows us to look at innovations and ideas in order to determine how much the idea will cost, how long it will take to implement, what the return on the investment will be, and other important considerations. The end result may be different than the forecast (most often it will be), but the important thing is that serious thought is given to how the idea could be made applicable before too much time and money is spent.
Currently, we’re conducting R&D on rewarding multi-unit dwellings, such as apartments and hi-rises. Other innovations include a model that rewards households for reducing their entire waste footprint, yard waste, and organics, and an expanded e-waste program.
BRAND AND DESIGN
As a young company looking to build a global brand that is authentic, compelling, and heartfelt, our brand team communicates the essence of RecycleBank. Our brand is organic, growing, and expanding with our every move. We certainly know that at one time, all great brands were once infants – and with that in mind, we will continue to give our brand the nurturing and energy to grow adept, large, and strong as does our business. The brand team is responsible for all in-house design, including:
» Consumer-facing communications
» Web design
» Advertising (signage)
» Rewards
» Hauler and municipality co-branding
» Promotional items
In 2009, we will enter the U.K. marketplace. To build a global brand, we must preserve our core values and core purpose. We continue
“The easier you make it, the more people will do it. I totally think that when I’m considering whether to walk that tin can to the street, this would give me that little more incentive.”
– Kristin Archer RecycleBank Member
In 2009, RecycleBank will launch across the pond in the U.K., and begin to reward non-curbside folks for green behaviors and actions. You can expect to see a comprehensive way of looking at our environmental footprint, both internally and externally, including green house gasses and the impact recycling has to the individual home. Stay tuned; the best is yet to come!
to evolve, change, and adapt to cultural and operational practices everywhere we go. RecycleBank is more than ready for the challenge.
2008 RecycleBank Pantone® Colors Standardized brand colors for print production
5
Ocean
Bottles
Plants
Earth
Sky
Stone
CanvasFlower
16 17
CUSTOMER CARE How do you take an online concept and make it work via a toll-free line? RecycleBank understands that our customer is everyone and some are without means to own a computer. Our customer care team answers every call by both existing members and those who read about us and wonder when we are coming to their neighborhood. The personal touch and the voice on the other end of the line can make or break the member experience. We’ve also added customer care reps fluent in Spanish. Moreover, we’ve changed hours to account for differing time zones. This has greatly helped the kind of care we can provide to our members. Customer care includes:
» Account activation
» Reward redemption
» Lost or forgotten passwords, account balances
» Q&A about any aspect of the program
» Missed account credits
» Questions from businesses and municipalities
» Calls from all over the globe about RecycleBank
This department will continue to grow as our business grows. There will be a Customer Care Centre in the U.K., use of IVR for quick and automated responses, and increases in both hours and days of availability to keep up with member needs. RecycleBank will work to maintain the feel of ‘small’ as we grow ‘big’.
FINANCE
The finance team translates all of our collective actions, both internally and externally, and analyze the impact and/or associated risks. This includes, but are certainly not limited to:
» Financial planning
» Record keeping and payroll
» Financial reporting
» Reporting of finances to the board of directors
GOvERNMENT AND HAULER SALES
This team, strategically located across the U.S., in Canada, and in the U.K., is responsible for bringing in the households that make up the core of our rewards program. Mobilized to bring in municipal, hauler, and MRF (Material Recovery Facility) accounts, this team spreads the word of RecycleBank and helps us to increase recycling in more places than ever before. Despite the sluggish economy and downturn in recyclable commodities, they allowed us to reach our household goal of nearly a million people serviced in 2008.
MRFHAULERMUNI
Increase Household Recycling
Save Money in Landfill Diversion
Acquire New Customers
Add Environmental
Efficiencies
IncreaseCustomerRetention Build Brand
LoyaltyStimulate
LocalEconomy
18 19
MALE46 Employees
FEMALE34 Employees
6.2%(5)
6.2%(5)
24%(19)
20%(16)
7.4%(6)
7.4%(6)
3.6%(3)
25.2%(20)
18– 24 years old
25 – 34 years old
35 –49years old
50 –64years old
INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The information and technology team (a highly intelligent geek-squad) is responsible for all of the technology systems that support RecycleBank. These include:
» Management of our unique and patented front-end and back-end software EcoStrong, including updates and iterations to the infrastructure and network capabilities
» Development of strategic goals within budgeted plans and focus on ROI
» Company innovation development
» Analysis, reanalysis, and then the reworking of existing business processes
» Offering of new tools and resources for further information and technological knowledge
In 2009, this team will build an engaging interactive Web experience, complete with customer profiles, an environmental widget (to be Facebook compatible), added content and greater data reporting systems. The ability for geo-targeting by zip code will add local relevance to the site and make ads
more appealing. In addition, households will have opportunity to maintain multiple accounts so that Mom, Dad, and the kids can all participate. RecycleBank.com will become even more of a community.
MARKETING
The marketing team is responsible for learning, understanding, creating, communicating, and delivering on RecycleBank’s messaging. In support of all business units in the organization, the marketing team ensures that we are meeting the needs of all of our customers by promoting both the passion and the purpose that is RecycleBank. Through a mix of strategy, a bit of psychology, a hint of sociology, and a pinch of economics, this team interacts with our members through:
» Brand voice and DNA
» Direct mail and web
» Rewards
RECYCLEBANK EMPLOYEE GENDER AND AGE BREAKDOWN*HUMAN RESOURCES
Keeping top of mind that good people make good organizations, our executive team saw the need for HR services. We grew from about 45 employees to about 97 over the course of 2008. A Human Resources consultant was brought on board part-time to help us foster a culture of creativity and innovation by continuing to hire excellent people, and then giving them the freedom to do their job. The consultant began with:
» Performance evaluation and management
» Record keeping of all personnel data
» Compensation, options, bonuses, etc., in liaison with payroll
» Insurance, 401k, disability
» Confidential advice to employees in relation to problems at work
» Internal surveys
*Based on an opt-in survey with 79 respondents
20 21
» Client marketing support
» Online revenue
» Online content development
» Public relations
» Communications
» Corporate social responsibility
» Relationship management
» Community outreach events
» School programming
In 2009, the marketing team will fill RecycleBank’s website with rich and inviting green content to greatly increase user experience. If knowledge is power, then our members will be powerful! A new corporate website will tell the RecycleBank story to future stakeholders, communities, haulers, and MRFs and assist our sales team in closing deals. There will be a Spanish site and a U.K specific site that all extend the feeling that ‘RecycleBank is for someone like me.’ We will also engage in social networking media to enlarge the tentacles of our community into the lives of our members.
OPERATIONS
The operations team works closely on growing and implementing the bridge to our RecycleBank members – our curbside recycling program. With all the bells and whistles in tow, and sleeves rolled up, the operations team makes sure that everything is running smoothly at all times. The operations team:
» Impacts RecycleBank development to municipalities and haulers across the country
» Develops implementation calendars
» Gathers local reward partners and does community outreach
» Ensures smooth and seamless cart distribution and retrofitting
» Retrofits trucks with RecycleBank technology
» Gathers and analyzes data
In 2009, operations will allow seamless scalability with staffing, reporting, and on-the-ground support as household density climbs across the U.S. and into the U.K. The local rewards teams will grow regionally to ensure
we stimulate local economies and motivate members to recycle. Data collection and reporting will expand and project managers will increase strategically in support of growth.
REWARDS AND SPONSORSHIP SALES
The rewards and sponsorship sales team works tirelessly to create a strong program that runs the gamut in rewards and donation possibilities. Members work hard to earn Points so the sales team works hard to get them the rewards they want. That means locally, regionally, and nationally there is something to make members happy. Groceries, gift cards, travel, merchandise, entertainment, shopping, donations; both online and in store—you name it and we have it. Our extraordinary selection of rewards and donations fits members’ lifestyles and needs. The companies that this team seeks out to motivate members include:
» Global brands that are category leaders in a variety of sectors (Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola, CVS/pharmacy, Kiss My Face, Target.com)
» Leaders in their commitment to environment /community
» Those looking to educate their consumers on creating a positive environmental lifestyle while building their own brand loyalty
This is an area to watch for in 2009! Look for sponsorships, travel, sweepstakes, local and national reward additions, a green credit card and even more Point-earning opportunities. We anticipate a tiered level of reward earnings as curbless memberships go live, giving people who don’t yet have a recycling cart at their home the ability to earn Points for positive green actions and behaviors. In addition, national partners will become international partners as we hire additional staff in the U.K. and add a full complement of U.K. Reward Partners to the mix.
22 23
THE RECYCLEBANK FAMILY
ExEcUtIvE tEAMRon Gonen Co-founder, Chief Executive OfficerMatt Tucker PresidentTBD Chief Financial OfficerScott Lamb Chief Operations OfficerMorley Ivers Chief Rewards OfficerFrank Yang Chief Technology OfficerSue Igoe Marketing VPDavid Wigder Business Development VPJim Biggs Government and Hauler Sales VPPreston Read Government Affairs SVP
Alicia Mandelkow Executive Assistant
cUStOMER cAREMichael Strobel Customer Care ManagerRowena Bullard Customer Care RepresentativeKarina Fernandez Customer Care RepresentativeCheryl Gagne Customer Care RepresentativeCynthia Kruger Senior Integration CoordinatorKendra Morris Customer Care Representative
FINANcETBD Chief Financial OfficerBob Hronsky ControllerElizabeth LaDana General AccountingKen Anderson AccountingAlice Maxfield Admin
RecycleBank Philadelphia OfficeEarth Day 2008
3
Meet the many people that make up the RecycleBank family tree.
24 25
OPERAtIONSScott Lamb Chief Operations OfficerRamil Berner Data ProcessorIstvan Biro Field Service Engineer Gabe Cho Data TechnicianJoe Figliola Mid-Atlantic Account ManagerKara Fitzpatrick Midwest Project ManagerRob Gensch Midwest Account Manager/Local RewardsMeeta Sethna Gournay United Kingdom DirectorFred Hannon Southeast VP and GM Eddie Haxihiu Cart MaintenanceTiffany Jorgensen Midwest Marketing & Community Partnership Rep.
Beth Kean-Waddell Operations DirectorKaren Kim Data AnalystMatthew Kozicki Community Outreach CoordinatorAlex Macht Cart MaintenanceBob Milligan Mid-Atlantic Region VP and GMAtul Nanda Mid-West Region President, Canadian Division VP Axel Newe VP of Operations & General Manager for CA Sandra Newfield NE Marketing and Community Partnership Rep.Chuck Oyler NE Region VP and GMDan Richman Project ManagerCameron Thorley Western Region Project Manager
MARkEtINgSue Igoe Marketing VPLisa Pomerantztz CSR / Communications / PR DirectorMonique Hartl Online DirectorBarani Guttsman Govt. and Hauler Marketing DirectorJen Macartney Assistant Marketing ManagerPaul Miller Brand & Marketing Project CoordinatorDante Meick DesignerMaria Lotuffo DesignerTeresa Wu Jr DesignerAlexa du Pont Bell Online Revenue
gOvERNMENt AND HAULER SALESJim Biggs Government and Hauler Sales VPRick Gaudette Gov. / Hauler Sales Programs & Channels VPBill Wolfram Major Hauler Sales VPTim Bowers Regional ManagerAnthony Casali Regional ManagerMike D’Angelo Regional ManagerJohn Getzloff Regional ManagerTom Hernandez Regional ManagerKim Jordan Regional ManagerChuck Page Regional ManagerAndrew Korman Hauler Account Management DirectorJudy Kenney South Central Regional ManagerMichael Mazzaroni NY & New England Regional Sales Director
REWARDSMorley Ivers Chief Rewards OfficerKaren Vaites Rewards Accounts VPLala Musayev Addeo Rewards DirectorNina Rendelstein Rewards ManagerAngela Kim Assistant Rewards ManagerMike Book Account ManagerBob Staub Rewards Development DirectorBridget Croke Rewards Development DirectorAron Levinson Rewards Development DirectorAzim Esmail Rewards Development DirectorJohn Smith Local Rewards National Manager
tEcHNOLOgYFrank Yang Chief Technology Officer Abhishek Jain Technology DirectorAdam Becker Product Development DirectorDavid Yang Application Architecture ManagerSahana Appaji Business AnalystAndy Brett Developer/AnalystJames Bui Systems AdministratorDorren Chen Programmer/AnalystYibin Cheung Technical Architecture Manager
Abigail Grant Business AnalystLinnea Hartsuyker Business AnalystKevin Hyland Developer/AnalystParul Jain Reporting Architecture ManagerLorgio Jimenez Developer/AnalystGulam Kahn Reporting DeveloperMark Kassal Developer/AnalystLarry Kooper Programmer/AnalystGus Mavromoustakos Programmer/AnalystSoren Meischeid Business AnalystSamuel Obukwelu Programmer/Analyst
Sara Rosett Business AnalystNitin Shah Reporting DeveloperHarlan Stern Programmer/AnalystTravis Tilley Programmer/AnalystVadim Timoshpolsky Programmer/AnalystGrace Yang Business AnalystLouis Zell Programmer/Analyst
26 27
SHADES OF GREEN
There is no one green thing out there in the cosmos that can stand alone as the answer to the troubles we as ‘people on our planet’ are facing. We know that as long as there is a continued focus on the benefit of making a difference in the environment by people, government, and corporations, then we all are in a much better place. Solar, wind, bio-diesel…the list is endless for future improvements. What about today? What about now?
RecycleBank knows that recycling is something that cuts a slice across all ages, demographics, ethnicities, even partisanship. Recycling is something that the proverbial ‘You’ can do today and make a difference for tomorrow. Our service hits every home, everywhere, and we respect each and every one of you along the way.
SHADES OF GREEN
“Technically, everybody is supposed to recycle. But very few are doing everything they could. There’s lots of room for growth.”
– Bob Novak Fortune Magazine
“The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”
– Gaylord Nelson former governor of
Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day
We respect the many shades of green3
28 29
RecycleBank provides members with the tools to get the job done. Single stream recycling in a large, wheeled cart takes the confusion away, and rewarding your efforts, with the carrot and not the stick, encourages you to keep going. Ultimately, RecycleBank will assist you in making better environmental choices along the way.
We see it happen internally and we see it happen externally. Pale green becomes sea foam green. Kelly green turns to Kermit green. And yes, Kermit even improves to an evergreen recycler extraordinaire! We all have the potential and we all continue to make a difference.
Where do you fall on The Green-O-Meter?
The Green-o-meTer
Why Recycle?
Baby StepperO
nly-if-
Convenient
Recycler To The Core
Always Aware
Lean
ing
Gre
en
WHY RECYCLE?
Skeptical of the benefits of Recycling
BABY STEPPER
Likes to recycle and may want to learn more
ONLY-IF-CONvENIENT
Needs to have a cart handy everywhere they go
LEANING GREEN
Recycles and is becoming a concious consumer
ALWAYS AWARE
Lives in the green space and considers their environmental footprint
RECYCLER TO THE CORE
Bona-Fide, Tree-huggin’, Granola-crunchin’ Recycler that cheerleads all things for Mother Earth
∫ ∫
We know the carrot works better than the stick when promoting green behaviors
3
30 31
The year starts off with 50 national and 320 local reward partners
RecycleBank is in 7 states and 74,000 households
Kraft named Official Food Sponsor
Doug Lebda joins the RecycleBank board
Kiosk Recycling Pilot begins at Columbia University
Evian joins RecycleBank to bolster water Initiatives
RecycleBank celebrates World Water Day
RecycleBank secures $30mm series B funding
Al Gore commends Cherry Hill on their Environmental Plan, including RecycleBank
Fortune Magazine picks RecycleBank as 1 of 11 Great Green Ideas
RecycleBank celebrates Earth Day
RecycleBank brings in HR support for our ever growing staff
RecycleBank.com gets a whole new look
RecycleBank heads to the Mid-West, launching in Omaha, NE
Hartford brings RecycleBank to CT residents
Allied Waste announces national Partnership with RecycleBank
Second annual company-wide retreat at the Mohonk Mountain House
RecycleBank heads to Northern Virginia and sees recycling volumes nearly double with AAA
Mayor Dave Munson kicks of RecycleBank in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with Novak Sanitary Services
RecycleBank heads to Lincoln, NE to partner with RecycleLink
RecycleBank is honored as one of Plenty’s 20 ideas changing the world
RecycleBank and Allied Waste launch in Twin Cities Metro Area, Eden Prairie, MN
Montgomery first in OH to bring residents RecycleBank, partnering with Rumpke
E-Waste program expands to include cell phones, mp3 players and laptops
Rochester Hills, MI unanimously votes to bring residents RecycleBank
Coca-Cola gives local Schools $75,000 on America Recycles Day in support of the RecycleBank Green Schools Program
RecycleBank goes citywide in Cherry Hill, NJ
Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who” joins forces with RecycleBank to spread the environmental messages of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
World Economic Forum announces that RecycleBank is honored as a 2009 Tech Pioneer
Launch of affiliate redemptions
Launch ActiveCause, another donation opportunity for our members bringing dozens, and soon to be hundreds of non-profits into the donation mix
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOvEMBER DECEMBER
357,834 rewards were ordered 46,145,150 Points were redeemed This is an increase of 152% and 242%, respectively, over 2007
182 National and 906 Local Reward Partners This is an increase of 266% and 233%, respectively, over 2007
RecycleBank services 211,253 households across 15 states2008 TIMELINE
Expansion
Rewards
Environmental
32 33
STAKEHOLDERS
The RecycleBank program is built upon the way we interact and form relationships as we do business.
COMMUNITY / HOUSEHOLDS
It’s been a tough economy, and the recyclable commodities market fell drastically during the second half of 2008. What we’ve found is that the recession, and our economic state, does not change the value proposition RecycleBank offers communities. Our value is tied to increasing diversion from the landfills and providing incentives and rewards for recycling at home. This in turn puts several wheels in motion:
» Residents earn Points for rewards which on average can save them hundreds of dollars in reward value each year
» Local businesses see increased tickets and customer acquisition as residents begin redeeming their reward; a natural way to build brand loyalty
» Communities save money in landfill diversion which can ultimately lower taxes and stretch tight budgets for other community necessities
» Communities are cleaner with a reduction in litter as more and more gets recycled
» The environment reaps the reward of saving our precious resources
“Thank you for your great rewards programs to help out our family in this tough economy!”
– Jennifer Trickey RecycleBank Member
Nothing is more important than the relationships we form as we grow
3
34 35
COMPETITORS
This ultimate form of flattery will only make us better, stronger and more responsible – sure there will be competition at some point in the future. That’s business and reality. At the end of the day we’ve got to be the best at what we do. Our goal is not to worry when competition is coming; our goal is to provide great service and to pursue an aggressive growth plan that recognizes the importance of economies of scale.
EMPLOYEESDo you like working here? Would you tell a friend? How are we treating you? We asked these questions of our growing staff, and we fared quite well. At our second annual retreat at the Mohonk Mountain House in New York’s Hudson Valley, we did a little digging to find out ‘What is a RecycleBanker’. Here is what we know:
» We work really hard
» We all clearly know the mission and are passionate
» We care; about our people, our communities, our planet
» We want to hire the very best, smartest people and treat each other well
» We are understandably a bit nervous about preserving our culture as we get bigger
» We are all entrepreneurial
» Oh yeah, and we’re hard working
HAULERS
Are we building business and brand loyalty? These days, it’s expensive for a city to send garbage to a landfill, so haulers and cities see RecycleBank as a value-add. The value in the current economy of recyclables is not in the revenue generated, but in not having to pay for disposal. That’s a key understanding that’s been missed by most people when they think about recycling today. When haulers offer our services, residents are able to get back not only what they pay for service collection, but hundreds of additional dollars in reward value.
INvESTORS
Are we focused? With a good amount venture capital money to support our growth and expansion, considered a “hot green prospect” by Newsweek, and recognized in BusinessWeek as one of Venture Capital’s favorite start-ups, we must be. In December 2008, we were notified that RecycleBank was selected by the World Economic Forum as a 2009 Technology Pioneer. We earned this distinction in the energy and environment category. Technology Pioneers are recognized for their accomplishments as innovators of the highest caliber and are companies with technologies that will have a deep impact on business and society. Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfield and Byers, RRE Ventures, The Westly Group and Sigma Partners are institutional shareholders. Ron Gonen, the co-founder and CEO, is the largest individual shareholder.
MEDIA
We strive to keep our story fresh and alive. One of the greatest things about the media and the press, in general, is the way they help us to educate our RecycleBank members. They watch us closely and they tell our story on national as well as local scopes. We’ve had the pleasure of being in the company of Charles Gibson and “ABC World News Tonight”, as well as CBS “The Early Show”, The BBC, CNN, Newsweek, Entrepreneur, Fortune, and AARP to name a few. It’s truly been quite a year! A key to keeping our story fresh is our ability to have a story to tell that fits into just about every section of a newspaper. We can speak to:
» Customer acquisition as we sign on long-term relationships with haulers and municipalities
» Local-announcement media outreach
» Partner launches
» Mayoral and council outreach
» Department of public waste, industry, and trade
» NGOs and non-profits of influence
36 37
» Consumer references/testimonials
» Education/awareness/activation
» Customer engagement/brand
» Recognition/attitudes
MUNICIPALITIES
RecycleBank works as a complete environmental solution designed to help municipalities with their residents and local economy. In 2008, the economy brought a sudden need for cities and households to conserve cash. RecycleBank allows cities to save money through landfill diversion and helps stimulate local economic development with local reward redemptions. Some cities, like Cherry Hill, N.J., are even using the savings they get from having RecycleBank to fuel other environmental initiatives.
NON-PROFIT ORGANIzATIONS AND NGOS
The National Recycling Coalition has always been aligned and in-tune with our work and
our mission. This year, we spoke again at their annual conference and had support from them on a pilot program in Hartford, Conn. We truly see the value of being a member of an organization filled with leaders in the Recycling industry, and opinion makers and shapers that span government, industry, and everyday folks like you and me.
In 2009 we will develop a way to leverage and establish governance with some key non-profit organizations, both on a local and a national level. We have a plan and strategy in place, and hope to report next year in greater detail on the outcome of this plan.
REWARD PARTNERS (LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL)
In 2008, we had more than 1,000 reward partners helping to motivate households across the country. From the local ‘Mom and Pop’ shops, to regional grocery partners, to large national brands, we’ve been able to
NOTEWORTHY 2008 RECYCLEBANK MEDIA COVERAGE
BROADCAST PRINT ONLINE
77MEDIA HITS
393MEDIA HITS
338MEDIA HITS
38 39
create a healthy program to satisfy the needs of everyone who recycles with us. Putting extra food on the table, going to see a movie, enjoying dinner out, a luxurious massage, a weekend getaway, or even donations to schools—we have something for everyone. And what do all these places have in common? On some level, they all want to be a good neighbor within their community. They want to be socially responsible and support recycling efforts.
For some, this is their first foray into the green movement. For others, participation in our program is a natural extension of the set of sustainable activities that support commitment to environment and local community. It’s a way of marketing locally, but acting globally.
Reward Partners join RecycleBank for:
» Customer acquisition
» Increased purchases with redemption
» Brand loyalty and affinity
» Awareness and ability to communicate corporate values
LEARNING AS WE GROW
How do we understand community and what role we play in it? ‘Remember Revere’ is a phrase that both haunts RecycleBankers and taught us a very valuable lesson.
Picture mid-July: RecycleBank is launching in Revere, Mass., a new community. Like all launches, residents receive a letter from the Mayor explaining the RecycleBank program. Unfortunately for us, this letter contained a critical typo that made its way to print.
At first glance, this seemed harmless. An ‘8’ became a ‘9’…could happen to anyone. Problem is that the number was attached to our customer care line. A bad experience here would leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. We had to fix this before it became a problem.
Easy solution: Purchase the newly created number and have a seamless transition for all Revere residents. Great idea right! Well, someone else with a more sinister motive had a similar idea and this previously unused, harmless number quickly became one of ‘those’ numbers (yes, you know the kind we mean—very non-brand appropriate).
In true RecycleBank spirit, we rose to the occasion. Design quickly created a post card to remedy the scenario adding a very sincere apology from our president. Electronically, a file was sent to a Revere printer and a dozen RecycleBank employees, execs and all, headed for what is now referred to as the “Midnight ride to fix Revere.” We woke up bright and early, ran to the printer and then literally hand delivered the correct information to each and every address. Special kudos goes out to all who helped with that midnight ride…and special appreciation to the residents of Revere who thankfully, only chuckled at my gaffe.
Lesson Learned? It’s not the size or the consequences of the mistake that matters. We are all human and we will ultimately make mistakes along the journey. The key is how we react to remedy the situation. RecycleBank came together as a company to make this bad situation right. And so it will go down in the annals of RecycleBank history, we will all, especially me, always ‘Remember Revere’.
Lisa Pomerantz, Director CSR and Communications
40 41
SECOND NATURE
As a company who embraces environmentalism as our core and accepts, without judgment, all shades of green, we are well aware of our enormous responsibility to be environmental leaders.
In 2008, we formed our very first Cross-Functional CSR Task Force to fully understand and implement the company’s internal and external CSR needs. Our goals were hefty, and we had members from every business unit, including the Executive Team. This was important in order to weave the mission throughout everything we do and every decision we make. We had passion, we had ideas, we had goals, but one thing we did not have on our side was enough hours in the day.
The team met only twice officially and then growth and expansion got the better of us. Now, that does not mean in any way shape or form that we let the company down in terms of sustainability. We still managed to accomplish some amazing and noteworthy things.
RECYCLEBANK & CSR
“I currently recycle and think this program will add more excitement and encouragement to families recycling efforts across the board.”
– Greg Jasmer RecycleBank Member
“I feel you should look at your footprint in life and see the impact you are having on the world.”
– Ron Gonan Co-Founder / CEO
Reuse in action – our kitchen for-here-ware promotes less waste
3
42 43
The new year will see the resurgence of the CSR Task Force Team and time will be carved, etched, stolen if need be, to continue to make our company sustainability goals a reality.
Here is what we accomplished against our goals in 2008.
ACCOUNTABILITY
As a company, we sought to address important social, environmental, and broader economic issues in our core business strategy.
Local economic stimulation and sustainability were two of the most important topics we dealt with when approaching municipalities.
We have created annual sustainability reports since the founding of our company in 2005.
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
Knowing we are only as good as the company we keep, we began, and are still creating, a standards document for admittance into the
RecycleBank Rewards Program as a partner.
We have created a task force to ‘debate’ the entry of any controversial partners.
COMMUNITY INvOLvEMENT
We instituted a quarterly paid volunteer day available to all employees to allow us all the opportunity to do important charitable work within our communities. The only caveat being that in Q2, we have an Earth Day focus. Both the Philadelphia and the New York sites took part in office-wide events, building team morale and doing great work. The remote folks worked within their local communities.
We have a growing program called RecycleBank Green Schools, which allows schools in RecycleBank-serviced areas to apply for environmental grants. Neighborhoods donate Points to the schools, and the Points then translate into real money to fulfill the grants.
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
» Added part-time HR consultant
» Conducted employee satisfaction surveys (see RecycleBankers Speak, pg. 57)
ENvIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
In an effort to darken our collective green, we:
» No longer use standard batteries in the office. We are all rechargeable battery users now.
» Use Web based meetings and teleconferences to not only reduce our collective carbon footprint, but for economic reasons as well.
» Added recycling capabilities to our NYC office, where they were previously lacking
» Keep lights off when rooms or offices are not in use.
» Constantly redesigned the architecture of our printed collateral in order to conserve. All are printed on PCW papers and use soy based inks where ever possible. Our business cards literally perforate into two cards in order to extend the life and use less printing and paper.
» More than doubled recycling rates in every community that deploys the RecycleBank program. To date, RecycleBank households have diverted
more than 60 million pounds of recyclables from the waste stream, saving more than 600,000 trees and over 45 million gallons of oil. These environmental footprint metrics resulted in more than $6 million in savings for municipalities in 2008.
» Increased reward participation, with 46,145,150 Points redeemed by RecycleBank households; returning money directly back into the local economies in participating communities. This number is up 242% over the previous year. Additionally, 688 new local and national RecycleBank Reward Partners signed on to take part in our mission to dramatically increase household recycling rates, up 274% over 2007.
44 45
ETHICS AND GOvERNANCE
We are pleased to report that we are a company that yielded quality services with great results; treated our partners, vendors, and employees fairly, and kept a clean slate on behavior.
We worked very hard to have clear, concise, and transparent marketing collateral; and as little of it as possible, if we may add.
We created and e-mailed our holiday greetings and well wishes in a effort to maintain the ‘print less, say more’ attitude .
We focused on internal stakeholder issues such as service quality, customer satisfaction, employee wages and benefits, and local community and environmental responsibilities.
FINANCIAL RETURNS
We expanded service from 35 municipalities and 100,000 homes in 2007 to more than 90
municipalities and 210,000 U.S. households in 2008. RecycleBank is poised to grow by more than 100% in 2009.
Recognized in a December BusinessWeek as “Venture Capital’s Favorite Startups”.
RecycleBank is a privately held business and does not disclose financial information.
PRODUCTS AND SERvICES
We developed and expanded our call center with extended hours, hired Spanish-speaking employees, and improved operational efficiencies and metrics in order to ensure legendary service for our RecycleBank Members.
RecycleBank households redeemed 46,145,150 Points for RecycleBank Rewards; returning money directly back into the local economies in participating communities through reward redemption. This number is up 242% over the previous year. Additionally, 688 new local and national RecycleBank Reward Partners signed
on to take part in RecycleBank’s mission to dramatically increase household recycling rates, up 274% over 2007.
RecycleBank recently expanded the ability of their members to earn extra Points and help the environment through e-waste collection. RecycleBank has joined forces with Collective Good, Gazelle, and Fl!pswap, who all have a like-minded mission to help the environment and uphold the highest environmental standards. Members are prompted to enter details of their devices including brand, model, and condition, and then can download a postage-paid mailing label. Points are awarded and deposited in member accounts once the organization confirms receipt and condition. More than 94% of the e-waste devices that come in are refurbished and put back into use. The other remaining 6% are properly recycled.
Towards the end of 2008, RecycleBank partnered with ActiveCause to offer a
Donations Category to our members. ActiveCause allows our members to donate Points to charities and non-profit organizations, both locally and nationally. They simply choose a partner to donate to and RecycleBank pays the charities of choice with real dollars.
We are indeed building a strong and vital CSR foundation, and we can only continue to improve!
46 47
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Our ability to ask our households to ‘green up’ means we need to keep house as well. ‘Green’ has become such a tired term in the natural lexicon of both the media and our daily lives. We are happy to report that despite the terminology, our shade is ever-evolving and deepening.
We live it and breathe it every day in the hopes of helping others on the green spectrum of things. With that, we know that we are only as good as our supply chain and vendors we work with. We need to ensure that our vendors understand the expectations we have set in the world of sustainability. Here is how we have fared for the year:
RecycleBank has a mission to increase recycling habits of homeowners across the U.S. and the world. We want to be the undisputed champion of recycling and green behaviors.
“Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value.”
– R. Buckminster Fuller Architect / Inventor
Our RecycleBank reward partners help to change the cumulative shades of green of our members
3
48 49
INTERNAL EFFORTS
We’ve greened our travel. Webinars, conference calls, Skype, and the like have allowed us to look at less carbon intensive ways to communicate. Many of our employees telecommute.
We’ve greened our offices. Organic coffee, tea, cocoa, tap filter, Energy Star appliances, reusable serve-ware and silver ware, ceramic mugs, and glass drinking cups. (A good portion of us even have reusable chopsticks.)
We’ve greened our technology. All computers, equipment, and phones are reused and refurbished until they need to be recycled. All equipment is Energy Star certified and has an end of life plan involving first reuse, then recycle. Our IT department was featured in Biz Tech Magazine on how to go green (March 2008), so we take this very seriously.
We’ve greened our purchasing. While printing is the curse of our business in terms of collateral, all paper is post-consumer waste, or PCW, from 30-100%. We print double sided with soy based inks when possible, and constantly recreate the architecture of our consumer-facing pieces.
We’ve greened our mindset. We celebrated Earth Day both the New York and Pennsylvania offices and around the states where our employees lived.
We’ve greened our energy efficiency by adjusting the thermostat and turning off lights (really, it’s that simple). Computers and peripherals turn off at night and sleep like the rest of us. Understanding that our office spaces are leased, we know we have little control, but we do indeed go out of our way to always do our best. CFLs and fluorescents permeate our offices and homes. We have water filters in each office, and every employee has a RecycleBank re-usable water bottle.
We reduce. We reuse. And we recycle. Oh yes, we recycle!
ExTERNAL EFFORTS
We have seen some amazing results in 2008. The households we serviced grew from 74,000 to more than 210,000. Together, those households saved over 600,000 trees and more than 40 million gallons of oil through recycling. Municipalities across the country saved more than $6 million by diverting waste from landfills.
Rewards: 182 National and 906 Local Reward Partners helped to motivate folks across 15 states in 2008. During the course of the year, RecycleBank members ordered 640,118 rewards from our local, regional, and national Reward Partners. Of those rewards ordered, more than 40% were for redemptions at local businesses, building local economies in all of our serviced areas. This translates into a minimum savings of $4,355,906 for our RecycleBank members for the year. Recycling has never been so rewarding!
2008 RecycleBank Business Cards2-in-1 Cards split in half, using less paper per card.This also encourages dialogue when meeting new people.
5
50 51
E-Waste: We have collected cell phones since April 2007, but we knew we had a greater responsibility to our stakeholders and our planet when it comes to e-waste and disposal. In October, we had a ‘soft launch’ of greater e-waste collection. We began relationships with additional organizations that allow us to now take in cell phones, MP3s, and laptops. This gives our members an ability to earn more Points while saving landfills from all of the toxic chemicals that make all our gadgetry work so well. Curiously enough, at the same time of our launch, “60 Minutes” ran an expose on the improper disposal of e-waste. Our vetting process for partners in this space was stringent and with good reason. Our e-waste partners, Fl!pSwap, Gazelle, and Collective Good, all promote re-use first and foremost. In working with them, we also are indirectly involved with their partners, ReCellular and TechTurn. All parties involved have zero landfill policies and are in full compliance or exceed EPA standards.
E-WASTE SOFT LAuNCH NuMBERS
Collective Good has reported these findings on these numbers:
Primary Materials Saved 101.46 kg
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions4,973 kg
Air Emissions Reductions 261,643 kg
Water Emissions547 kg
Toxic Heavy Metals 2.72 kg
Municipal Solid Waste Savings254 kg
Hazardous Waste Reductions 101 kg
End of Life total Energy Savings63,344 kWh
Look out 2009! There is a lot of e-waste out there and we want it! We look forward to a huge surge in these numbers in next year’s report, and the cities and municipalities we speak to see this as a huge value. Tonnages: As the premier green recycling rewards and loyalty company, offering rewards for both people and planet, we need to show you the money…er…the recycling, if you will. A couple of key factors to know and understand as we interpret the data in the real world.
» Private haulers do not disclose certain information due to the highly competitive nature of their business. In those cases, we can only report on data that we have obtained through our systems of weights and measures
» Some municipalities and haulers have no prior records to speak of
» Some markets only represent a portion of the subscription market
» Some markets represent pilot or trial programs
» Some markets turn from pilots to full city, greatly increasing household numbers
1,865121
4241
31
Collective Good / Cellphones
Collective Good / Batteries
Fl!pswap / MP3 Player
Collective Good / Chargers
Fl!pswap / Cellphones
*
*
*
OPDENAkER(PA SUBURBS)
SwEDESBORO (NJ)
UPPER DUBLIN
(PA)
NATIONAL PARk
(NJ)
wESTVILLE(NJ)
wHITEMARSH(PA)
wILMINGTON(DE)
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
6,817 Tons
2007 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
1,152 Tons
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
1,100 Tons2007 Tonnage
(Before RecycleBank)
505.03 Tons
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
1,974 Tons2007 Tonnage
(Before RecycleBank)
900 Tons2007 Tonnage
(Before RecycleBank)
644 Tons2007 Tonnage
(Before RecycleBank)
172 Tons
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
425 Tons2007 Tonnage
(Before RecycleBank)
267 Tons
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
2,108 Tons
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
730.4 Tons
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
1,524 Tons
2007 Tonnage(Before RecycleBank)
0 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
12,312 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
1,136 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
1,307.8 Tons2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
593.9 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
2,208 Tons2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
1,640.5 Tons2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
1,209.1 Tons2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
469.9 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
873.6 Tons2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
340.7 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
3,927.2 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
724 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
2,386.6 Tons
2008 Tonnage(With RecycleBank)
7,059.5 Tons
+ 5,495
- 16 + 207.8
+ 88.87
+ 234+ 740.5
+ 565.1
+ 297.9+ 448.6
+ 73.7
+ 1,819.2
- 6.4
+ 862.6
+7,059.5
RECYCLING TONNAGE IN RECYCLEBANK COMMUNITIES
CHERRy HILL(NJ)
CLAyTON(NJ)
ELk (NJ)
EAST GREENwICH
(NJ)
LOwER GwyNEDD
(PA)
GLASSBORO (NJ)
LECk(PA SUBURBS)
54 55
Results: With all the above caveats aside, the households in the program pulled 46,298.27 tons from the waste stream (cumulative of more than 60,000 tons since program inception). That’s a pretty remarkable job! To give this some context for you, all of that tonnage is the equivalent of:
» 16,835 Adult male hippos
» 54,469 Shiny New Smart Cars
» 174,710 Baby Grand Pianos or
» 462,982 Refrigerators
Now that’s a job well done.
WALK BIKE MOTO RAILS CAR BUS BOAT PLANE
1602.088 Tonnes C02
845,800 miles
.246 Tonnes C02
325 miles
5.44 Tonnes C02
31,525 miles
162.82 Tonnes C02
425,000 miles
15.37 Tonnes C02
158,600 miles
.19 Tonnes C02
1,100 miles
-.32 Tonnes C02
700 miles
-1.68 Tonnes C02
3,700 miles
200 Tonnes of C02
50 Tonnes of C02
2 tonnes of C02
-1 tonnes of C02
CARBON FOOTPRINT
A carbon footprint is the total set of GHG greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product and is measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it. On the next page is the collective carbon footprint for RecycleBank staff travel. It’s important to note that one mile of walking or biking saves one pound of CO2 gases.
One metric tonne is a measurement of mass, equal to 1,000 kilograms or 2,204.6226 pounds
Total: 1784.154 Tonnes C02RECYCLEBANK C02 EMISSIONS FROM TRAvEL
56 57
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
RECYCLEBANKERS SPEAK
As mentioned earlier, we added a part-time HR consultant to help us with many things and one of the first things we measured was, “What do RecycleBankers think about us?” Here are the results:
» 65 Surveys completed; 23 employees interviewed
» We know what our mission is and understand the value proposition for all facets
» We work hard, do a great job, have a great culture
» We’re a bit unstructured and can use some more processes
» We are a unique group of passionate people who drank the Kool-Aid
» Wow are we growing, and we’re a little concerned we’ll lose this great culture
» We are super-bright, entrepreneurial, energetic, passionate, and we love what we do
» We need to do a better job of communicating to each other, we email too much, we don’t always know what the other business units are up to
» We like and trust the Executive Team
» We need to offer new hires better training and on-boarding
“People, people, people.”
– Ron Gonen, CEO When asked what the are the most important things to RecycleBank.
These mini billboards help us spead the passion on T-shirts and hearts everywhere
3
58 59
» Historically, RecycleBank has taken care of their employees and they expect we will take care of RecycleBank
» RecycleBank employees want to be RecycleBank Members too
Over 70% either agree or strongly agree that:
» I receive information that assists me in learning the business and the industry.
» I am encouraged to improve my skills and abilities.
» I know what I need to accomplish in order to be a high-performer in my role.
» We need to offer new hires better training and on-boarding
EMPLOYEE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL BEING
Everyone surveyed felt the benefits offered were good and a good majority of employees partake for either themselves, or themselves and their families. All full-time employees get:
» Vacation (10) and sick days (4)
» Paid holidays (9)
» Personal days (3)
» Maternity / paternity leave (4 weeks)
» Volunteer days (1 per quarter)
» Life insurance
» Medical / dental insurance
» 401k plan
RECYCLEBANK WORKPLACE DIvERSITY
WHItE56 Employees
70%
BLAck4 Employees
5%
HISPANIc4 Employees
5%
ASIAN13 Employees
16.5%
MULtI4 Employees
2.5%
60 61
WAGES AND BENEFITS
This year was the first year that we had a formal review process in place. Every employee did a self-review; several had 360 degree reviews, and then employees sat with their manager for an honest and open review session. The need for this was called out during the employee survey and put in place for level setting in job expectation and performance.
Survey results showed that many believe that while salary may be lower than average, it’s significant in terms of the start-up environment. We are all in it to win it, and believe in the mission at hand. We universally feel it is worth a potentially lower salary to work in this culture and within the green space doing this great work.
THE BOARD
Here is an alphabetical listing of the board:
Kevin Conroy, Univision
Bob Davoli, Sigma Partners
Stu Ellman, RRE Ventures
Ron Gonen, RecycleBank
Doug Lebda, Lending Tree, IAC
Herb Northrop, Recycle Holdings Rashad Tobaccawala, Denuo Group
AWARDS RECEIvED IN 2008
11 Great Green IdeasFortune Magazine
1 of 20 Ideas Changing the WorldPlenty Magazine
Top 10 Incentive ProgramsIncentive Magazine
2009 Technology PioneerWorld Economic Forum
62 63
ENvIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
ENvIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
At RecycleBank, education is a core responsibility. We are building our brand to reflect our expertise in the industry, and we know that for young and old, education is the answer to a more sustainable planet.
THE RECYCLEBANK GREEN SCHOOLS PROGRAM
Our Green Schools Program hits the ball out of the park—we developed a reward with double the value, as residents in community after community donate Points to local schools for green, environmental programming. RecycleBank members earn for good measure, and give for good measure.
Coca-Cola continued our partnership in this localized initiative to create the next generation of environmental stewards. During 2008, RecycleBank accepted 17 grant applications, and generosity abounded.
“I believe the children are the future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.”
– George Benson Singer/Songwriter
RecycleBank Green School Program Springside School, Pa.
3
64 65
Communities all over the country banded together and donated their hard earned Points to allow kids of all ages to do things like:
» Create an outdoor, sustainable classrooms that respect and encourage local ecology
» Install Green Roofs on Existing Outdoor Structures
» Kick the (water) Bottle Challenge
» Analyze Weather to get a Better Understanding of Climate Change
» Understand Personal Environmental Impacts
For every 100 Points donated, Coca-Cola gave $10. We saw 14 out of 17 schools reach their granting goals, and the remaining three were 50- 80% to goal. This translates to over $81,080 successfully awarded to local schools.
THE CYCLE
Did you ever wonder what happened to your recyclables after they have been picked up curbside? Well, The Cycle, an animated video produced by RecycleBank, tells the story
in a fun, interactive, and educational way. At the time of this writing, The Cycle won a SXSW Award for Educational Resource, and is shortlisted for a Webby Award. Go to www.recyclebank.com/recycling to watch the video now. We even created it in a way for you to download and share on your computer, on your MP3, in your school, or on your blog.
EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
Take just one look at our website from 2007 to 2008, and you will see an astonishing transformation from a strictly transactional site to a site filled with content, information and recycling know-how. All we can say at this time is, just wait until you see next year’s site!
ACTIvE CAUSE
This year, we partnered with ActiveCause as a perfect vehicle to allow members to ‘do good,’ twice. First, they can earn Reward Points by helping conserve precious resources through
recycling. Additionally, members have the opportunity to help the world by donating their Points to help important causes.
The Green Schools Program has taught us the need for our community members to give. They tell us time and time again with calls, letters, and e-mails about their organizations and their willingness to give away all of their Points to help (you fill in the blank). Kids, pets, health, education, environment—non-profits abound and now RecycleBank members can donate their Points for real cash donations on their behalf. Non-profits and charities for donation include the Nature Conservancy, Oxfam-America, Save Darfur Coalition, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, just to name a few. We are literally creating a seamless and painless way for our members to support the causes that matter to them.
Watch. Share. Embed. Download. www.RecycleBank.com/recycling
3
66 67
Strategy and Analysis
Governance, Commitments and Engagement
Report Parameters
Labor Practices and Decent Work
Society
Product Responsibility
Economic
Organizational Profile
Environmental1.1 Statement from the CEO1.2 Discriptions of key impacts, risks, and opportunities
4.1 Governance structure of the organization4.8 Internally developed statements of mission or values4.13 Memberships4.14 List of stakeholder groups engaged by organization4.15 Basis for ID and stakeholders with whom to engage4.16 Stakeholder engagement
2.1 Name of organization2.2 Primary brands, products, services2.3 Operational structure of the organization2.4 Location of HQ2.5 Number of countries where the organization operates2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form2.7 Markets served2.8 Scale of organization2.9 Significant changes during reporting time2.10 Awards received during the reporting period
EN1 Materials used by weights or volumesEN2 Recycled MaterialsEN3 Energy EmissionsEN5 Energy SavedEN6 Initiatives to provide energy efficiency based on servicesEN16 GHG EmissionsEN22 Total waste by type and disposalEN26 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impact
3.1 Reporting period3.2 Date of most recent previous report3.3 Reporting cycle3.4 Contact point for questions regarding this report3.5 Process for defining content3.9 Data management techniques3.12 GRI index table
LA1 Total workforceLA3 Benefits provided to full time employeesLA6 Workers involved in joint managemnet committeesLA12 Percentage of employees receiving reviewsLA13 Employees by category, Diversity Indicators
SO1 Nature, scope and effectiveness of programsSO5 Public policy and lobbying
PR1 Health and safety impact of products and servicesPR3 Product and service information
EC1 Economic value generatedEC3 Defined benefit coverageEC8 Infrastructure investments
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
HOW TO MEASURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
HOW TO MEASURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
HOW TO MEASURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
HOW TO MEASURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
CLOSING REMARKS
HOW TO MEASURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
SHADES OF GREEN
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
CO2 EMISSIONS FROM TRAvEL
CO2 EMISSIONS FROM TRAvEL
ENTIRE REPORT
ENTIRE REPORT
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ENvIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
ENvIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCEHOW TO MEASURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO
LETTER FROM RON GONEN, CO-FOUNDER CEO COvER
MAP
THE RECYCLEBANK FAMILY
THE RECYCLEBANK FAMILY
THE RECYCLEBANK FAMILY RECYCLEBANK WORKPLACE DIvERSITY
THE RECYCLEBANK FAMILY
gUideline synopsis loCation
gUideline synopsis loCation
2008 TIMELINE
2008 TIMELINE RECYCLEBANK & CSR
RECYCLEBANK & CSR
RECYCLEBANK & CSR
RECYCLEBANK & CSR
RECYCLEBANK & CSR
RECYCLEBANK & CSR
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
GRI INDEx TABLE
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
STAKEHOLDERS
STAKEHOLDERS
STAKEHOLDERS
STAKEHOLDERS
STAKEHOLDERS
STAKEHOLDERS
GRI INDEx TABLE
69
CLOSING REMARKS
While this would be an appropriate section for a closing statement, I will instead tell you that this is only the beginning! The pages that led you to this point paint a picture of an innovative company poised to make a significant difference on the planet. Hopefully you saw into our world and how we want to help to influence yours. We have an amazing group of people pooling together for the planet, gaining momentum and strength with every step. We are human, ever evolving, striving to learn, innovate, and educate. And, along the way, we are building the framework and core commitment to sustainability in 2009, 2010, 2011...well, you get it.
Can’t wait to see you in your neighborhood!
Lisa PomerantzCSR / Marketing and Communications [email protected]
More than 1 million households serviced in 33 states by the end of 2009
States with a RecycleBank presence
Where RecycleBank is headed in 2009
Recycler
To The Core
70 71
TYPOGRAPHY
Meta Serif Designed by Erik Spiekermann, Christian Schwartz and Kris Sowersby as a serif companion to FF Meta, 2007.
Trade Gothic Designed in 1948 by Jackson Burke
StagDesigned in 2008 by Christian Schwartz
PRINTING FACILITY
Millennium Graphics for over 7 years has taken a leadership role in utilizing environmentally responsible technologies and materials for the betterment the environment. Pressroom contains Color Connection which reduces make-ready waste by over 75%. Closed loop plate chemistry replenishment/removal systems. All materials are printed with 100% Vegetable based inks using recycled heat, water, air, and aluminum printing plates.
CREATIvE MINDS
Written by: Lisa Pomerantz Edited by: Lisa Pomerantz & Jeff HarseDesigned by: Dante MeickPhotography: Ryan Lavine, Bernadette Uzcategui, Jen Mcartney, Jeff Harse, iStockPhoto & Veer
Copyright © 2009 RecycleBank, LLC All rights reserved.www.RecycleBank.com