Today, in honor of Earth Day, Recyclebank— which inspires and rewards more conscious consumer actions and purchasing decisions — is launching One Twine, a new online shop that features a carefully curated collection of socially and environmentally conscious goods. Each product is reviewed through Recyclebank’s Impact Lens, which examines how it’s made, how it’s used and how it can be disposed. Recyclebank members can apply the points they’ve earned for buying and acting more sustainably toward purchases on One Twine.
“Recyclebank’s mission is, and always has been, to inspire people to live more sustainably,” said Recyclebank CEO Javier Flaim. “We started with recycling and have since added other ways for people to easily incorporate sustainability into their daily lives. It is a natural step for Recyclebank to extend that experience to the products our employees believe in with the launch of One Twine.
“People want products that are gentle on the planet and healthy for their families, but it is easy to get lost among labels, certifications, and marketing messages. We’re taking the guess work out of finding products that consider their total impact on our planet, and in the process giving people another way to incorporate sustainability into their lives.”
Recyclebank’s Impact Lens includes nine criteria that consider the product’s total environmental impact:
One Twine’s Impact Lens considers the following criteria for each product:
- Renewable— Made from recycled materials or renewable resources
- Gentle Impact— Ingredients and by-products are free of hard chemicals that are bad for health or the environment
- Fair— Makers of this product were treated fairly
- Sustainably Made— Manufactured with a minimal environmental impact
- Efficient— Product efficiently uses resources and/or helps reduce pollution
- Promotes Sustainability— This product makes it easier and more convenient to lead a more eco-friendly life
- Reclaimable— This product itself is recyclable, reusable and/or biodegradable
- Smart Packaging— Packaging materials are minimal and/or made from recyclable, reusable or biodegradable materials
- Merchant Buy Back— This product can be re-sold or given back to the manufacturer
To help people make more informed choices, One Twine clearly displays icons next to each product that highlight which criteria it meets, and includes insightful content related to those principles.
"We really liked the nostalgic elements of twine, it conjured up a type of image we wanted ... a traditional corner store where you can trust the store owner who knows your name and tells you about the product you need that day. Purchases there were often bound by brown paper and twine — a single thread woven from many fibers," Erin Pruss, SVP of Digital Marketing & Member Experience at Recyclebank, said when asked about the name. "Just like those durable, interwoven threads, we believe that through your small actions and our great products, we're collectively bound for a better future."
Pruss says the marketplace will add new products each week, but at launch, One Twine features more than 400 products from 30 new and established brands across household, health and beauty, children, pets, gear and gadgets categories, including:
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Since 2004, Recyclebank has used a mix of education, rewards and impact metrics to help people live more sustainable lifestyles. Through online engagement and recycling incentive programs, the company has increased recycling rates in more than 300 communities, partnered to recycle nearly 3.8 billion pounds of waste, and helped move people toward a more sustainable future. Its 4.5 million members earn hundreds of points a year from learning how to live more sustainably and taking small actions to achieve real impact.
In other recent Recyclebank news, the company was a key partner in J&J’s Care to Recycle campaign, which encourages and reminds consumers to recycle in the bathroom. And in January, Recyclebank announced the schools selected for its 2014 Green Schools Program, which each year grants money to schools to enable unique projects that will lead to greater sustainability in their classroom and community.