Donated goods are the fuel that powers the economic engine which allows us to fulfill our mission of transforming lives and communities through the power of education and employment. The sale of these donated goods provides the funds for our free job training and career services.
For many years we have relied on the generosity of donors. However, often it is also their willingness to travel to our donation centers and other donation drop off points. That is why we have been working to implement new strategies and technologies to increase donor convenience. We call this “getting closer to the donor”.
Goodwill goBIN™ at Bozzuto.
One way we are working towards accomplishing this goal is through the use of a brand new donation receptacle called the Goodwill goBIN™. These aesthetically appealing bins are designed for indoor use in residential and commercial properties and make donating clothing and small household goods as easy as recycling plastic bottles.
The goBINs are made of a durable plastic material and the chic design is conducive for placement in higher traffic areas such as lobbies, mail rooms, and recreation facilities.
They are also fitted with a sensor that measures the volume of donations in the bin and will alert Goodwill when the bin is approaching capacity. Once the alert is received, Goodwill can dispatch a truck to empty the bin before it begins overflowing.
This will help mitigate any mess caused by donations being left outside the box and ensure that the pick-up process is managed to the satisfaction of both property management and building tenants.
We are piloting this new donation model with the help of The Bozzuto Group – an integrated real estate services organization. Goodwill is placing the first four goBINs in three Bozzuto managed properties in the DC area, as well as in their corporate headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“Once again, Bozzuto has partnered with Goodwill of Greater Washington in an innovative way to support their donation efforts. One of Bozzuto’s core values is concern for the communities we touch, so it was a natural fit that we include our corporate headquarters as a site for this goBIN program,” said Peter Zadoretzky, Director of Sustainability for Bozzuto Management Company.
While Goodwill has been repurposing and recycling donated goods for generations, this pilot program is the first of its kind for Goodwill of Greater Washington. Bozzuto will be the first company in the country, outside of San Francisco where the concept was tested and developed, to receive these bins.
The pilot program will gauge resident engagement and participation in green living and will determine the scale and feasibility of a much larger goBIN deployment to other Buzzuto properties in the greater DC region.
What do you think of the goBINs?
Would you like to see one in your building or place of business?
