We were recently featured as a telnic .tel Story, check out the full story!

Ecycler based out of Lake Forest, IL (USA), creates a new way to recycle by connecting people discarding cans, bottles and newspapers with those wishing to collect them. Ecycler makes recycling easier for households and businesses in Canada and the US.

Tim Laurent shares his experience with .tel, and his views on the future of .tel technology.

As an Internet company, Ecycler relies on leads from the Internet, and 100% of our user base is Internet capable. Therefore, we try to be as accessible as possible. We allow communications through traditional forms (email, contact us page, blog, forums) and the social media channels (twitter, facebook, youtube, etc.). We are also actively engaged in a lot of social media channels; Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to name a few. We believe that everyone approaches life differently, so we are prepared to have a presence where ever we are needed. Many of these communication avenues are now consolidated through the ecycler.tel resource, which feeds into the idea of meeting our customers where they are.

We finally made the move and registered ecycler.tel about four months ago after seeing other .tel sites start to pop-up. We thought the idea of a simple, fast loading directory as a “must have” ecycler digital asset. Building the ecycler.tel site was relatively straight forward. And, it’s easy enough to update when needed. Of course, the fact that the .tel sites are search engine friendly is quite a plus.

Today ecycler.tel continues our philosophy of brand recognition. We consider it a core aspect of our communications strategy.

I think anyone who’s serious about an online presence can benefit from a .tel domain.  The .tel is a universal online phone book (directory). It’s a central communications hub for you or your business. When someone needs to find your phone number, or email address, or whatever, they can be assured that your .tel will have that information.

I think, .tel is going to continue to have an impact on the world. As more and more websites come online, we see .tel becoming even more important for people to more easily find what they need via an easy to use, fast loading framework.

ecycler goes to Canada

Today, 21 July 2010, ecycler launches in Vancouver, Canada.

As part of our continuing efforts to find innovative and cost effective methods of reducing, reusing and recycling we are excited to launch e-cycler.ca which will provide an easy way for collectors and discarders to connect online.

Ecycler creates a new way to recycle by connecting people discarding cans, bottles and newspapers with those wishing to collect them.

E-cycler.ca provides an alternative to the many Canadian households and businesses that are not offered curb-side recycling. It’s also an option for people who have to pay for curb-side recycling or who want to have their recyclables picked up when and where they desire.

Ecycler is partnering with Keystone, an established recycler and waste management firm located in Vancouver. This strategic relationship is to bolster each other’s strengths into a winning combination. The springboard into Canada follows the successful launch of ecycler USA ten months prior.

For the individual (or group) collecting recyclables, ecycler provides an entrepreneurship opportunity. Ecycler is driven by these collectors who establish an ecycler recycling program in their community. Collectors can download personalized business cards and posters generated by e-cycler.ca and then post them in public places. Collector accounts also include a customizable ecycler URL, i.e., their profile page. Anyone who has access to the Internet can become an ecycler collector.

Discarders can do their part for the environment while at the same time helping collectors in need of additional income. The discarders’ recyclables are “collected” by these individuals or groups and redeemed for cash at a local recycling center. Ecycler supports this community building for groups such as the Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, Church groups, social clubs, etc. by making available the same marketing materials used by individual collectors on e-cycler.ca.

Ecycler encourages people to discard their recyclables for free; however, discarders can request a portion of the proceeds from the collector. Discarders can track their carbon credits on the site. In addition to the automated calculation of materials recycled though e-cycler.ca, discarders have the option of listing how many recyclables they’ve given away on their own to be included in their total.

E-cycler.ca provides an accountability tool by allowing collectors and discarders to rate their experiences with one another.

Our official Press Release.

We’ve entered the Myoo Create “The Beat Waste Startup Challenge” contest.

Come Vote for ecycler!

On the ecycler contest page, click on the “Vote for it!” below the video… It will most likely ask you to register which takes less than 120 seconds.

The registration process is easy, it will ask for an email address, username and password. It will then send a confirmation message to that email account. To finish the registration (thus the vote for ecycler), you’ll need to go to your email and confirm with the link provided in the message from Myoo Create. BTW, this is a spam-free site…

We really appreciate the vote! Please also tell your friends and family.

ELEVATOR PITCH:

At ecycler.com we bring together those who have recyclables to give away with those who want to collect those recyclables. Many US households or businesses are not offered curb-side recycling; we’re giving them that option.

The collectors—or community entrepreneurs—will redeem the recyclables they collect for cash.

Ecycler further enhances the social value of recycling as the discarders will feel good about the environment and helping someone in need. They also have the ability to track their recycling in terms of the number of units and their combined carbon offsets.

We currently are trying to reach people who would like to become ecycler discarders; we hope to get businesses apartments and groups of friends to start saving their recyclables for their local collector. Also we are looking for people to become a local ecycler collector and pick up recyclables from the discarders.

Don’t forget: Check out the contest and Vote for ecycler, we really appreciate it:

http://myoocreate.com/challenges/the-plastiki-beat-waste-startup-challenge/entries/295

UPDATE

Many thanks to everyone that made the effort to vote for ecycler. Unfortunately, we were not selected for the subsequent rounds of competition. However, stay tuned, we have some excellent news to share.

Ecycler.com has introduced new features that will make connecting with discarders and collectors easier.

ecycler's recycling exchange

A new collector directory allows people with recyclables to discard to find collectors in their state. Likewise, a new discarder directory allows collectors to see which discarders are nearby. It also enables discarders to see which other discarders are joining the ecycler revolution.

In addition, the site has a new recycling exchange feature that allows people to see what kind of recyclables are available in their state. For example, a collector could click on “ Florida ” and see that someone in a particular zip code has a trash bag of aluminum cans to give away. If that discarder resides in the collector’s area, the collector can then contact that discarder directly through ecycler.com to arrange for a pick-up.

Come check it out!

We recently ran an article on the decision process of using either paper or plastic while in the checkout line (check it out here: Which is Better… Paper or Plastic?). Our conclusion? Best to use a re-usable bag. So, we thought it would be a great idea to give away a pile of our bags to one lucky winner. What’s a pile? How about five bags!

ecycler Bag Giveaway

As always, the ecycler bags are available at shop.ecycler.com for $5.99 each.

WIN:

We have a pile of FIVE of these fun ecycler Eco-Friendly Bags to giveaway!

How to Enter:

To enter, make a comment telling us how you are trying to be more GREEN.

Extra Entries:

For extra entries you may do the following, make sure you indicate your extras in a separate comment.

• Register on ecycler.com
• Twitter (tweet us at @ecycler)
• Blog about the giveaway
• Add our WordPress widget to your blog

Available in the US only, this giveaway will end on March 1, 2010 – See the official Rules here

Living without curbside recycling? Don’t fret … a new website called ecycler aims to connect recyclable discarders and collectors in your community.

How to use ecycler

Want to start 2010 off on the right, green foot? For those living in areas sans a curbside recycling pick-up service or a convenient recyclables drop-off station, a recently launched website called ecycler is looking to make things a whole easier via a virtual “Collect, connect, recycle” system.

Using ecycler is easy breezy — it’s essentially an online classifieds community for folks looking to get recyclables off of their hands or “discarders,” and those who are willing to pick them up and take/sell them to recycling centers or “collectors.” Not only do desperately seeking “discarders” benefit from using ecycler, but “collectors” can find the site beneficial as well with opportunities to turn green do-goodery into a small but thriving eco-enterprise (read: money-making).

Of course, ecycler won’t work without a committed network of  collectors, so if you’re interested in taking a few hours a week to play the role of “friendly local recyclable man or woman” take a gander at the site’s homepage — and blog and community forum — to see how you can become involved. And for more info on recycling facilities near you, check out the indispensable Earth911.

Folks without a convenient way to dispose of recyclables: would you sign up to become a member of a site like ecycler? And dedicated recyclers: is taking on the role of an entrepreneurial ecycler collector something that would interest you?

Click to see original Mother Nature Network feature

Want to help the environment as well as people in need of additional income by giving them your recyclables?

Take the Pledge

Facebook Users: Pledge your recyclables!

Our website, ecycler.com, can make that happen, but we need your help.

Some facts:
Unemployment is at 10 percent. In a bottle bill state like California, a trash bag full of 200 cans is worth $10.00 In other states it is worth about $2.50, so this could really help out someone.

These could have been recycled:
• 38 billion water bottles in the U.S. were sent to landfills last year — in excess of $1 billion worth of plastic
• About 50 billion aluminum cans sold in the U.S. last year were sent to landfills or incinerated.
• 42 million trees in the U.S. in the form of newspapers were sent to the landfills last year

This is how long these items will stay in landfills:
• Plastic Beverage Bottles– 500+ years
• Aluminum Cans–Eighty to 200 Years
• Glass Bottles—4,000 to One Million Years
• Newspapers–Two to Four Weeks or Longer (15 years is possible)

If you currently recycle, we ask you to go to ecycler.com and pledge to give your recyclables to someone on the site.

We are in the process of trying to find people who will pick up your recyclables and take them to a recycling center (anyone with Internet access can be a collector). When you choose to give away recyclables on the site, you will see the following choice: “I don’t have recyclables right now but am willing to save them to give away, please contact me.” By choosing this, prospective ecycler collectors will see your posting and contact you via the site to pick up the recyclables. This way, you can continue to recycle the way you currently do and possibly switch to an ecycler collector when someone contacts you.

We are trying to get as many people as we can to register and pledge to give away their recyclables. In coming months we hope to get the word out to people who will contact you to pick up your recyclables.

If you want to read more about ecycler check out the article about us on treehugger.com:

Come check out the write-up on TrendHunter.com and give us a “Hot” rating. TrendHunter.com is the world’s largest, most popular trend community. Fueled by a global network of 30,000 members. Sounds good to us!

Some neighborhoods don’t have free recycling pickup services but now, with the Ecycler site, there is no excuse not to recycle. The Ecycler site fulfills everyone’s green aspirations by connecting people who need a recycling service with those who want to do the recycling.

Basically, using the Ecycler site, eco-conscious consumers can find people in their communities who are ‘recycling entrepreneurs.’ These entrepreneurs get a customizable URL, downloadable personalized business cards and posters for publicity, while consumers with recyclables can simply choose from the list of entrepreneurs and arrange a pickup. Check out Ecycler.com to learn more.

Showcase here: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ecycler-site

Come learn more about a Sustainable Future for the Community of Missoula, November 4, 2009 in Missoula, Montana.

This educational event features presentations, information and networking opportunities, all designed to advance the community’s understanding of “going green”. Local businesses, non-profits and community members will provide practical advice on how to recycle, be environmentally friendly consumers and create a sustainable future.

The event will take place Wednesday November 4, 2009 at the University of Montana. The event will open its doors at 4 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. Raffle drawings will take place every hour. Admission is free and the public is welcome to interact with several sustainable businesses, non-profits and local recycling resources (including ecycler.com).

Come participate in an event aimed at helping us sustain the community, create recycling awareness and learn how to make lifestyle changes that will make a difference. In an effort to sustain our community for generations to come, the community is invited to join local leaders who are like minded and able to assist and educate them on ways to go green.

LOCATION
University of Montana
University Center – South Ballroom
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, MT 59812

If you are in the neighborhood on Wednesday, come check us out!

Download the event flyer: Missoula-Sustainable-Future

UPDATE

The event was a big success with over 75 participants (more than expected). ecycler received several comments including:

ecycler.com was very interesting, I would be interested in using this service when I begin to live in an apartment or house. I may recommend it to my family members.

and

ecycler…I’ve always said Missoula should have curb side recycling.

Come check out our profile on Ziipa.com and give us five stars. Ziipa’s goal is to showcase the best Web 2.0 websites, start-ups and applications. Sounds good to us!

Showcase here: http://www.ziipa.com/view/ecycler