Community Corner

Huntington Woods: Is Recyclebank Leader the New Hazel Park?

The City of Trees, which lost to its neighbor in an intracity recycling challenge this spring, remains stuck in No. 2 behind Lakes at Red Rock, Va., in the Recyclebank and SC Johnson Green Choices Recycling Challenge with $100,000 on the line.

Huntington Woods can't seem to push past Lakes at Red Rock, Va., which has dominated the No. 1 spot in the Recyclebank and SC Johnson Green Choices Recycling Challenge since the contest opened this summer.

Unless more residents register, recycle and report, it seems Huntington Woods is doomed to lose again after being bested by Hazel Park this spring in an intracity recycling challenge.

[Click here to register for the Recyclebank and SC Johnson Green Choices Recycling Challenge.]

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It's a surprising turn of events for a city that prides itself on how many residents recycle and serves as a Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority model community.

At stake is a $100,000 prize.

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Huntington Woods was the only Michigan city chosen to take part in the national competition and its success hinges on residents' participation. Residents have been asked to register with New York-based recycling incentives program Recyclebank and record their recycling habits for 2 years beginning July 2.

Whichever community among the 50 competitors has the highest percentage of reported recycling participation through Dec. 31, 2012, will win a $100,000 grant for sustainability projects from Wisconsin-based household products manufacturer SC Johnson.

"It is just as important to report recycling as it is to get registered," Huntington Woods Public Works manager Claire Galed said. "To win we need to excel in both areas."

Galed offered the following tips to make the process easier.

  • Once registered, it is important to report each time you put your recycling at the curb, but at least once a month.
  • Reporting is easy. If you registered with email, just set up a reminder.  With one click you can report your recycling activity.  To set up a reminder, just log into your account and go to "Settings."
  • If you registered from home and call from home, you need to do nothing but call, choose a language to hear the instructions and the rest is automated. If you call from a different phone, you will be asked to enter the number associated with the account.
  • You need only report that you recycled. You do not have to say what you recycled or how much. SOCRRA will report the tons at the end of the month and you will see your point total grow.

"It will be our combined registration and our high participation in recycling and reporting that will win the $100,000 for the city," Galed said. "As always, people with problems and questions can call me (248 547-1888). I urge people to let me know if they have any problems registering or reporting. Everything is fixable!"

A leaderboard is available on the Recyclebank website so residents can track the city's standing in the competition. Huntington Woods was in second place as of Oct. 8.


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