2. Name: Recyclebank

What it does: Rewards eco-friendliness with real-world points that include monetary incentives, discounts, and much more.

How it works: Everybody loves rewards, right? Well Recyclebank uses the concept of gamification (i.e.  rewarding non-game actions with points or other rewards) and once the system has received confirmation of online or offline eco-friendly actions, the doer is rewarded with points that could translate into discounts or deals at major retailers. The company has, in short, turned an eco-conscious lifestyle into a game. Like Kaggle, the Recyclebank Ecosystem includes a leaderboard, so you can see how you’re ranked among your circle of friends.

Why the idea works: “Gaming elements make recycling easy for people to relate to, it provides motivation and it helps put behavior in context of the larger community,” explains Ian Yolles, chief sustainability officer at Recyclebank. “These techniques make activities more engaging and more interesting to users, and in doing so, it helps surface the process of behavior change.” Recyclebank started with focus on recycling objects found on the curbside, but it has expanded to include a myriad of ways you could earn points—you could unplug electrical appliances, choose green products, or make green travel decisions, such as using carpools or public transportation. These points could then be redeemed at retailer brands that partner with the company, and you could receive discounts or deals.