Yerukim Forms a New Green Economy Where the Money is Really Green

Yerukim believes that money should be “green” and if it doesn’t grow on trees, it should at least help trees grow.

A new economic project is slowly growing in Kiryat Ono, Israel with a currency based on rewarding good environmental deeds. Sound crazy?  It just might be, but it is slowly growing and it will be interesting to see if it really works.

The idea is fairly simple: residents of Kiryat Ono keep their recyclable plastic bottles and aluminum cans and call for a pick-up when they’ve collected at least 20 items.  Then they call Yerukim, who arranges for the bottles and cans to be picked up (and recycled) and for “green” money to be left for the residents in exchange.

Lastly, the residents can use this “green” money at participating businesses in the area.

These “green” bills then join what Yerukim envisions as a “green economy”, based on a currency of positive environmental acts.  Whereas the residents of Kiryat Ono could either throw out their recyclables in the trash or recycle them themselves in order to receive the monetary deposit, they choose to make recycling easier for themselves and also support businesses that value eco-friendliness.

The project was born out of a desire to encourage more people to recycle by making it easier for them.  It began very small, with neighbors helping each other carry their bottles and cans to the local supermarket.

Yerukim believes that in this venture, everyone wins.  The Yerukim members who pick up the recyclables get to keep the monetary reward, the public earns “green” bills that can be used in shops, and business owners get to be associated with environmentalism.

The environment benefits too, of course.

Read more about recycling in the Middle East::
Lebanon Launches New Recycling Campaign, “Think Before You Throw”
Eran Hilerowicz, CEO of Koala Recycling Solutions, Speaks About Metal Recycling in Israel
A UK Muslim Reflects on Recycling Potential for the Middle East