Source: treehugger.com
Published: January 22, 2014
© Goodwill of San Francisco
Goodwill of San Francisco wants to make donating textiles as convenient as possible and they’re debuting a new high-tech solution to get more people donating their used textiles.
The goBIN is a smart donation bin that has sensors that ping Goodwill when its full and time for pick-up, making sure the bin is always ready to accept clothing drop-offs. The bin also has a QR code that when scanned will send donors to an online donation tax form. Once they’ve filled it out, they’re emailed a receipt.
The bins will be installed in apartment buildings around the city so that people won’t have to go far to give their textiles new life.
Through a partnership with the city’s rental property management trade association, Goodwill is starting to place them in buildings with 100 units or more this year.
“We’ll target putting a Goodwill goBINTM in every big apartment and condo building in the city within 5 years to make donating textiles an everyday convenience. Every shirt, shoe and purse slipped into a goBINTM will help us create job opportunities for the chronically unemployed,” said SFGoodwill CEO Maureen Sedonaen.
Goodwill plans on manufacturing the bins using as many local and recycled materials as possible. After the pilot phase in San Francisco, the goBINs may be manufactured for other areas around the country.