professional recyclers of pennsylvania, aka prop ~ close the loop company presentation
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When you think of reuse organizations, what comes to mind? Non-profits like…Salvation Army Thrift Store ~ waste disposal costs
Goodwill Stores ~ waste disposal costs
ReStore ~ Habitat for Humanity
Construction Junction ~ Pittsburgh, PA, part of PRC. Sales goes towards recycling cost, maintenance 30,000 foot warehouse & paying employees. Bigger problem: people dumping electronics, waste disposal costs
Purple Heart ~ Donations help veterans
Freecycle ~ Worldwide grassroots online organization
There are also for-profit companies accepting donations…
Planet Aid ~ bins throughout PA
USAgain ~ bins throughout PA
GreenDrop ~ locations in PA & other states
These for-profit companies collect unwanted textiles and resell them in the U.S. and abroad, effectively diverting millions of pounds of clothing from landfills, generating new revenue streams for U.S. businesses and non-profits, and fueling local economies in emerging countries.
Jeannette Presley started a Blessing Box in Muncie, IN ~ goes viral on facebook and featured on Channel 6 Action News in Philadelphia (294,000 viewers), Tweet goes out to 450,000 followers on twitter!
Viewers based on market share: http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/01/03/philadelphia-weather-forecast-ratings-hercules/
The benefits of a sharing economy include the following:
Reducing negative environmental impact Builds stronger communitiesSaving costs by borrowing and recycling itemsProviding people with access to goods who can't afford buying them or have no interest in long-term usageIncreased independence, flexibility Enables people to get what they need from each other
Source: https://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/institute/document/jpmc-institute-volatility-2-report.pdf
Although 1 percent of adults earned income from the Sharing Economy in a given month, more than 4 percent participated over the three-year period.
The Sharing Economy has exploded onto the scene…[aka Collaborative, GIG, or Platform Economy] The exchange of goods, assets, and/or services between a wide variety of individuals
One study predicts by 2020, 40% of American workers will be independent contractors.
source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-hill/how-big-is-the-gig-econom_b_8147740.html
Big Players:
AirbnbUberEtsyEbayCraigslistZipcar
Origins: Freecyle & Couchsurfing
Harnessing the power of relationships
Alleviate problems such as over-consumption, waste, pollution, and poverty by lowering transaction costs.
Fix and Repair your stuff!
Repairable Products Make Good Sense Repair is good for manufacturers, good for the
economy, and good for the rest of us.
Ifixit.com Exercise Your Right to Repair ~ iFixit is a global community of people helping each other repair stuff. Over 21,400 manuals written by people like YOU!Many companies want to make quality products, and people want to buy stuff that lasts. But some manufacturers build in planned obsolescence, forcing us to buy new products.
ABOUT US ~ Close the Loop Company PA’s 1st Benefit Corporation ~ a new legal entity type to create a positive impact on society and the environment
The start of a new economy in Pennsylvania, one based on a triple bottom line: people, planet, purpose
And you CAN do well by doing good!
Close the Loop Company offers: Recycled Products from US manufacturers: Recycled Plastic Posts, Glass Mulch, Rubber Mulch, Rubber Landscape Timbers, etc. Free Website Building Workshops Give & Take Days…all items FREE!
Americans discard about 40 million tons of durable goods each year
What can be done to reduce this waste?
Give & Take Days, annually since 2009, video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLmKUSQ5t1o
Benefits of GIVE & TAKE DAYs: Provides a free and convenient opportunity for people to dispose of items that are useful and
avoid landfill costs. Increases recycling & public awareness about reducing waste Items stayed within the local community and saved people money from having to buy new
items Charities benefitted by receiving the items left over at the end of the day
We offer a free toolkit to start your own Give & Take in your local area, just contact us at closetheloop.com
Event registered as part of GAC of PA ~ Anyone can register an event or litter cleanup, receive free bags, free landfill space.
The main elements to hold a successful Give & Take Day are:
A small budget and good publicity A venue (local colleges, parks, community centers or
church halls are ideal) Volunteers (to sort and organize items on tarps or tables) A truck/trailer (to bring leftover items to local charities) or
contact 1-800-SA-TRUCK for free Salvation Army Pickups
Enthusiasm!
Tips: Best time to hold event:
Weekend Day ~ Give 10am-1pm, Take: 1:30pm-4pm Staff: Volunteers
Clear on their roles & responsibilities Instruct them what can and cannot be accepted to give away.
Safety Have police or security guard(s) present to deter any verbal or physical abuse
Leave event clean at end of day Create a flyer and post throughout the town, add event on Facebook, share on Twitter and
other social media outlets. (Our FB event was viewed by over 220,000 people!) Photograph & videotape event, interview attendees for their feedback Serve lunch and refreshments to all volunteers Keep track of how much potential waste was diverted from landfills Partner with local township supervisors or environmental organizations
Help advertise Dispose of garbage at end of day (very little generated as items are reviewed before being accepted)
Potential Problems:
• Heavy items at the end of day that no one took ~ must be moved/donated. Possible solution: Have a bulletin board for people to bring photos with their contact information for large items. Have people only bring items that one person can lift.
• Some volunteers might not show up on the day
• People feeling upset if their items are not seen as suitable for the event
• Arguing over items when multiple people want the same item, grab at the same time.
• Large rush of people when the “take” starts. Best to separate children’s items from adults so no-one is injured in the rush.
No matter income level or social status, everyone should be reusing, fixing or buying items second hand, shop thrift stores, reduce taking natural resources from the planet ~ be part of the sharing economy.
We have free libraries for books, why don’t we have: free tool libraries free toy libraries
Everyone doesn’t need a garage full of tools they rarely use!
Fact: If we recycled 75% of our waste in the US, it would create 1-2 million jobs San Francisco is currently diverting 80% of their waste (source:
http://sfenvironment.org/zero-waste/overview/zero-waste-frequently-asked-questions-faqs)
We've hit peak home furnishings, says Ikea Sustainability Director ~ people have too much STUFF!
Every man, woman and child would eat well, clothe and shelter themselves comfortably, if there were a greater sharing of wealth in all parts of the world.
"You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need." ~ Vernon Howard
Leave less of a footprint on the earth…
