A Good Thing is on a mission to reduce landfill waste and boost the circular economy by sending fewer things to landfill and more to a good cause.
This week we hear from Anna Bowler from A Good Thing, an organisation that connects charities to the resources they need. A Good Thing founders, Cathy and Richard, saw that businesses were generating waste while charities were struggling to find the items they needed.
The pair created an online platform that allows charities to list the items they need and businesses to list their surplus products. Together businesses and charities are working to reduce landfill waste and fuel the circular economy.
Upcycling stock is not always as easy as it seems
The idea of donating rather than dumping seems simple. But without the right connections, landfill can feel like the only option. That’s why, when Allison heard about A Good Thing, she was delighted.
Allison had recently decided to take a break from her business creating handmade baby clothes and accessories. She’d been looking for new homes for her organic cotton muslins, beeswax and olive oil teethers and bibs lined with bamboo towelling. And though she’d been searching for some months, she’d had little success.
Determination prevents dumping
Allison had not anticipated it would be so challenging to find a new home for her stock. She’d tried donating the blankets to local charities many times, but her messages went unanswered.
She’d also tried reaching out to retailers, hoping they might take her stock off her hands. But she had no joy there either. At one stage someone even offered to take her items for a fee, but Allison was determined to give them to someone who would make really good use of them. She definitely didn’t want them ending up on landfill.
Matchmade, items saved
Allison was almost out of hope when she joined A Good Thing. But just a couple of days later, Windsor charity, The Baby Bank, spotted Allison’s blankets on the site. The charity couldn’t believe its luck.
Founded in 2015 by two Windsor mums, The Baby Bank accepts donations of good-quality secondhand clothes, equipment and furniture. The charity passes these on to local families in extreme need. And it’s helped more than 5,000 families since its conception.
For many of these families, receiving a beautiful handmade baby blanket will not only warm their babies. It will also bring joy at a time when many are struggling with finances and life in general.
Sending fewer things to landfill and more to a good cause
The Baby Bank was thrilled with the outcome. And Allison was overjoyed. Many of the items the charity took were things she had wanted to re-home for many months.
“Using A Good Thing to donate my baby blankets couldn’t have been easier. I decided I was happy to drive the blankets over to The Baby Bank to save them a journey. The whole experience really was hassle-free.”
“I think there could be a lot of demand for this service. I know of many other businesses in my situation. Many of them want to pass on surplus stock for free but find it very hard to do.”
Fuel the circular economy and do A Good Thing
Our case study demonstrates it’s easy to do A Good Thing. All you have to do is send less to landfill and more to a good cause. There are 2.5 billion tonnes of waste created annually across Europe alone.
By facilitating the sharing, reusing and recycling of existing goods and products for as long as possible, A Good Thing extends items’ lives. And this minimises their impact on the planet and ensures they find good homes.
If you’re a business owner wanting to donate your unwanted items get in touch! Or email [email protected]
We’re interested in anything you have. So whether it’s a used laptop, some office furniture, or surplus products or packaging, please get in touch. Let’s send fewer things to landfill and more to a good cause.