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Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Get paid to do something for the environment

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Doing something good for the environment in Indianapolis can now earn you currency that can be exchanged for goods at local businesses.

The program called Make Changeallows people to do something as simple as

riding their bicycle or as involved as participating in a neighborhood

cleanup program in exchange for redeemable coins.

Each hour of activity is worth $10 in aluminum coins specially created for

this program. A list of activities is below.

Coins can be redeemed at locations including The Children¹s Museum of

Indianapolis, the Good Earth, and Broad Ripple Brew Pub. A complete list is

below.

For more information about the program, visit makechangeindy.com.

Tim Carter, director of Butler University¹s Center for Urban Ecology, which

oversees the program, said the message of Make Change is simple: ³Do

something to help the environment, document that, receive your currency,

exchange the currency.²

Make Change was originally funded through a grant from the Environmental

Protection Agency’s (EPA) Urban Waters program and launched in January 2013

in the neighborhoods between Fall Creek and 38th Street.

As of Friday, June 20, the program is being expanded to the entire Midtown

area, thanks to a $1,000 Nice Grant from SmallBox, an Indianapolis-based web

design and marketing company. Residents of Midtown or those who perform

their activities in Midtown are eligible to participate.

Participants can earn as much Make Change currency as they want. With some

activitieslike, say adding a rain barrel to a home all the participant

needs to do is document his/her activity through social media with the

hashtag #MakeChangeIndy. In the case of community projects, organizers will

be given coins to distribute to participants.

The program will continue at least through the end of 2014, Carter said.

Activities that are eligible for currency are:

Worth 15 minutes ($2.50 credit):

-Take a clean water pledge at clearchoicescleanwater.org

-Replace an incandescent light bulb in your home.

-Document your trip on one of the bike trails in Indianapolis.

-Donate to Indy Upcycle, 6358 N. Guilford Ave., which sells art and craft

materials at pay-as-you-wish pricing.

Worth one hour ($10 credit):

-Participate in the bike share.

-Have an energy audit done on your home.

-Plant a garden/native plants (one hour for every 10 square feet).

Worth two hours ($20 credit):

-Plant a tree.

-Start a chicken coop.

-Create a composting system.

-Install a rain barrel.

-Bike to work.

Businesses accepting the currency are:

Unleavened Bread CafƩ

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Freewheelin’ Community Bikes

Fall Creek Gardens

Duos Kitchen

KI Ecocenter

Agrarian

Indy Upcycle

Good Earth Natural Foods

Broad Ripple Brew Pub

CUE Farm

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