A pilot program of 22,000 homes had been under way in the city since last year. The city decided to expand the program in the current budge year after seeing savings in landfill fees as residents recycled more through the program.

In four months of program participation, the 22,000 households diverted 3.3 million pounds of waste from the landfill, RecycleBank data shows.

The city has saved close to $44,000 in landfill disposal costs due to the increased recycling, city officials said.

"We´re saving money by not sending as much waste to the landfills," said Solid Waste Management Department Director Harry Hayes. "That´s creating a wheel of savings for Houston, allowing us to further expand the automated recycling program to other Houston households.

RecycleBank measures the weight of recyclable materials in special 96-gallon recycling carts, and then credits reward points to the accounts of participating residents based on the weight in the cart. These reward points can be traded in for discounts at local and national retailers.

When fully implemented, 76,000 Houston households will be enrolled in the program.

The first phase of Houston´s RecycleBank program was sponsored in part by Alcoa and Texas Instruments and through a grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com