Verizon Wireless Joins Forces with RecycleBank® to Make Recycling Even More Rewarding for Philadelphia Tri-State Area Households

TREVOSE, Pa., May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, provider of  the nation's largest and most reliable 3G network, and RecycleBank, which manages the country's premier recycling-rewards and loyalty program, have teamed up to help increase the curbside recycling rate in households across the Philadelphia Tri-State region.  The partnership - a first of its kind for Verizon Wireless and RecycleBank – offers additional benefits for participating in the innovative recycling-rewards program.

RecycleBank rewards consumers for green actions such as curbside recycling, servicing more than 300 communities across the United States and in the United Kingdom. In Philadelphia, the company works closely with the city's Streets Department to encourage recycling through the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program.

"This is the first time RecycleBank has joined forces with a wireless company to make curbside recycling more rewarding for households," said Ron Gonen, CEO and co-founder of RecycleBank. "This innovative partnership will allow us to offer additional incentives for RecycleBank members in the Philadelphia tri-state area and help us achieve our common goal of increasing recycling."

Residents who participate in the program can potentially earn hundreds of dollars of rewards points each year for recycling. The points can be redeemed through RecycleBank for groceries, gift cards, merchandise and entertainment at hundreds of participating local and national merchants. Additionally, residents have the option to donate their points to the RecycleBank Green Schools program. Through its exclusive partnership with RecycleBank, Verizon Wireless is offering additional incentives to residents in southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware to help increase residential recycling, including:

• Fifty bonus RecycleBank points for the first 10,000 consumers to sign up for the program;
• Plus, the first 500 RecycleBank members who sign a two-year contract for Verizon Wireless service will receive double their curbside recycling points for the entire two-year period.

"This initiative is yet another way we are continuing our strong track record of fostering sustainability both inside our business and in the communities we serve. It's a win-win for local economies, the environment and our customers," said Mario Turco, president of Verizon Wireless' Philadelphia Tri-State Region.  "I applaud Mayor Nutter's vision to make Philadelphia the nation's 'greenest' city by 2015 and I'm convinced that innovative programs like Philadelphia's Recycling Rewards effort, powered by RecycleBank, will be critical  to helping speed the Mayor's vision along the road to reality."

In just five years, RecycleBank's rewards-based model has proven its success. On average, city recycling volumes increase two-to-five times and members across the country earn hundreds of dollars in reward value. Additionally, every ton of recyclable material diverted away from landfills decreases landfill disposal costs for the partner cities.

For more information, visit www.PhillyRecyclingPAYS.com and www.recyclebank.com/partners/verizon.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving nearly 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  81,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About RecycleBank®

RecycleBank® motivates people to recycle and rewards consumers for taking greener actions with points that can be redeemed from participating local and national business partners. Through collaboration and innovation, RecycleBank is helping to create a culture that encourages people to take simple steps towards greener lifestyles. With new products and services like residential recycling, product reuse, expanded e-waste recycling, responsible disposal or simply focusing on using what already exists in the world today, we believe that making greener choices shouldn't feel at all like a trade off. It should be a trade up, and so RecycleBank rewards you every step of the way.  RecycleBank currently provides service to over one million people across the U.S. and the U.K. and has been recognized with a number of business and environmental awards, including being named as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and as a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environmental Programme. RecycleBank is headquartered in New York City.  For more information, visit www.RecycleBank.com.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless