The big recycling push is on in Richmond.

On Monday, the city Department of Public Works began distributing 95-gallon recycling cans. The new cans are bright green with blue tops.

At least 57,000 are to be distributed by the end of August to single-family homes and to apartments with fewer than four units. Each can will have an identification tag that can be tracked if the can is lost or stolen.

Residents who use the cans will be eligible for up to $25 a month in coupons and discounts from area merchants participating in the Recycling Perks program. Residents can sign up for Recycling Perks at www.richmondgov.com/richmondrecycles/

Richmond has teamed up with The Recycling Partnership to beef up recycling and reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill. The partnership awarded Richmond nearly $560,000 to help pay for the cost of the new cans and to educate the public on recycling.

The project began earlier this year with the distribution of 6,000 of the new cans. This week, the project expanded citywide.

One big change — the place of collection. Residents whose trash is collected in alleys also will have their recyclables collected in alleys.

Until now, all recycling collections have been curbside.

The city wants to boost recycling because it gets paid for each ton of recycling that gets collected. The city also has to pay for each ton of waste that it ships to a landfill.