Member Spotlight

Rego

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Furniture was invented thousands of years ago, and while there have been many human and technological innovations in that time, the way we dispose of furniture has not changed: we bury it. According to the EPA, 12 million tons of furniture are landfilled annually in the US. Rego addresses that problem by building the technology necessary to help power the circular economy for bulk waste (like furniture, appliances, and other large, hard-to-recycle items).

Why did you become a member?

Joining CircularPHL for us was a no-brainer. We knew the leadership team and current members at CPHL could help us further educate ourselves on how to bring sustainable and equitable waste solutions to Philadelphia. After a few conversations with Nic, it was clear the Circular team understood the relationship between business, government policy, and environmental impact in a way that will improve the circular economy in Philadelphia.

What does a circular economy mean to your organization?

For our team, the circular economy means improving the supply and demand of existing resources in a way that betters the human quality of life, our environment, and the economy. It’s easier said than done, but we believe in finding solutions to make it easy and rewarding for people to participate in the circular economy to drive widespread adoption.

How is your organization practicing circularity?

Rego is innovating circular solutions for furniture and other hard-to-recycle items that typically don’t fit into traditional circular systems. Our current focus is optimizing the reuse process by making it easy and affordable for people to send their unwanted furniture to a reuse outlet, like a charitable re-seller, instead of a landfill. We’re diverting over 70% of everything submitted to our platform while automating much of the process. One of our long-term goals is to leverage our data to create more sustainable solutions for the items that cannot get reused.

How can others advance the circular economy?

The best way for others to advance the circular economy is through education! When people educate themselves, they empower themselves to take action. Then, of course, they can help educate others. It’s easier to take action when you understand why those actions are important, then identify opportunities in your life to implement circular practices.