Recyclebank has launched a green rewards point programme, designed to encourage Londoners to take short journeys on foot or by cycling, rather than using public transport.

As exclusively revealed by BusinessGreen earlier this year, the company has teamed up with Transport for London (TfL) to launch a mobile app called re:route that will assign people reward points if they replace short public transport or car journeys with low-carbon alternatives.

As with Recyclebank’s increasingly popular recycling reward point schemes, subscribers to the new service will then be able to redeem the points with a range of companies, including Marks & Spencer, Planet Organic and Champneys.

The app is currently only available on the iPhone, although a spokeswoman for the company said a version for Android will be available in a few months.

Users are required to register for the service and then enter their destination for a journey. The app then suggests routes for walking or cycling and awards the user five reward points if they follow one of the routes. The system also tells the user how many calories they have burned when using an alternative to public transport.

With TfL currently calling on commuters to consider alternative routes this summer to avoid congestion associated with the Olympics, director of planning for surface transport Ben Plowden hailed the system as an innovative means of tackling over-crowding.

“TfL is supporting re:route because it supports our wider efforts to encourage more people to consider cycling and walking as quick and convenient ways of getting around,” he said in a statement. “More people cycling and walking will help to reduce congestion on our roads and on our busy public transport network.

“We’re particularly excited about the potential for this app to motivate people to cycle and walk during the London 2012 Games, when London’s roads and public transport network will be at their busiest.”

However, Recyclebank chief executive Jonathan K. Hsu predicted the app had the potential to become a regular part of commuting for years to come.

“Although this app will be hugely useful during the Games, making it easier for people to seek alternative methods to get across London, we believe re:route will become part of a Londoner’s daily routine as it gives them a fantastic experience, with desirable rewards at all times,” he said.

The launch is the latest in a series of moves from Recyclebank designed to diversify the company’s activities and establish itself as a green rival to existing reward card schemes.

Speaking to BusinessGreen earlier this year, Rob Crumbie, director of marketing and communications at the company, said it was looking for more councils to embrace its recycling rewards model, as well as energy companies that could introduce similar incentive schemes to encourage energy efficiency.