Local nonprofit reinvents reuse
Eco Encore raises funds for the environment through resale of used books and CDs.
Seattle is known for creative technology concepts. Now environmentalists can add Eco Encore to the list of creative start-ups that got their start in Western Washington. Since September of 2002, Seattle-based Eco Encore has been busy gathering donations of used books, CDs, videos and DVDs, selling them online and then passing on the profits to local environmental organizations. Since inception, Eco Encore has raised $10,000 for its 12 recipients - all of which are nonprofit organizations doing environmental work in the Puget Sound region.
This creative fundraising / reuse system is very simple and offers an educational component as well. After collecting donations of used media (books, CDs and videos) from individuals, Eco Encore lists them online via their Amazon.com store. When an item is sold, Eco Encore sends an email to the buyer informing them that their purchase has helped to support an environmental organization in the Northwest. The item is then shipped to the buyer (in reused packing materials) along with a flyer that educates the buyer about the ecological importance of buying used goods. Thus, with each sale, the Eco Encore system does three critical things: 1) reduces the amount of waste and landfill by keeping a manufactured product in use; 2) raises funds for the environmental movement through a previously untapped source; and 3) brings consumers into the environmental movement by appealing to them with low cost goods.
"Eco Encore is an innovative way to support environmental protection," says Jon Stahl, technology guru at ONE/Northwest - one of Eco Encore's recipient organizations. "It's a triple bottom line approach that benefits individuals, environmental organizations and the planet."
In addition to having raised over $10,000 for their recipients, Eco Encore has made approximately 3,500 sales, gained more than 100 donations of used media and, thus, kept almost 3 tons of material out of landfill. All this in their first fourteen months of operation.
"I'm constantly surprised by what sells," says Jesse Putnam, Eco Encore's founder and director. "People think the boxes of old books and CDs in their basements are worthless, but those items can easily be converted into donations that are worth a great deal to environmental organizations that really need support right now." In these tough economic times, when individuals and nonprofits alike are struggling to make ends meet, Eco Encore provides an easy and painless way for people to give to their favorite conservation groups. In fact, many donors to Eco Encore feel like they're getting a service rather than making a sacrifice--unwanted clutter is hauled away from their houses, and instead of ending up in landfills it ends up helping the environment.
So, if you're ready to purge those old Rod Stewart CDs gathering dust in your closet, don't toss them! They could be transformed into greenbacks for green groups right here in the great Northwest.
For more information visit Eco Encore's Web site (www.ecoencore.org) or email Eco Encore at donations@ecoencore.org.