Win-win for e-waste recycling social enterprise

PonyUp for Good co-founders Cat Harding and Mardi Brown
PonyUp for Good officially launched last week with the news that it will donate half of its profits to national food rescue charity SecondBite.

The new Melbourne-based social enterprise is the brainchild of longtime friends and co-founders Mardi Brown and Cat Harding.

PonyUp for Good is focused on helping businesses deal with their old electronic technology in a more sustainable way.

It aims to reduce the amount of e-waste sent to landfill by collecting donated, decommissioned devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, from socially conscious organisations. Any data is securely removed from the devices before they are sold on via networks into developing countries, where they can be reused for up to seven more years, providing access to technology for those for whom it may otherwise be unaffordable.

“In Australia there are 18 million tonnes of e-waste going into landfill every year,” said Ms Brown. “While programs like MobileMuster are contributing to landfill avoidance, we felt there was a gap in the market where we could provide companies with a non-monetary opportunity to contribute beyond themselves via decommissioned technology, at the same time reducing toxic landfill and making a charitable contribution.”

PonyUp has committed to donate 50 per cent of its profits to SecondBite, Australia’s biggest fresh food rescue charity, which redistributes fresh surplus food donated by farmers, wholesalers, markets, supermarkets, caterers and events to more than 1,300 community food programs.

“At the heart of all great partnerships lie a broad set of shared values and a commitment to a common purpose and this holds true with respect to the relationship between SecondBite and PonyUp,” said SecondBite CEO Jim Mullan. “SecondBite is delighted to partner with PonyUp as we’re both passionate about waste reduction, better use of resources, helping communities and generally improving the lives of those doing it tough.”

The founders say that PonyUp’s work and partnership with SecondBite has the potential to both keep millions of kilograms of food and technology out of landfill and to meaningfully contribute to the ongoing issue of food insecurity in Australia.

Business interested in donating their unwanted electronic devices to the social enterprise can contact Cat or Mardi direct or complete the online “Device donation form”.

PonyUp’s launch video is available on YouTube and more details are available on its website.

The PonyUp for Good process, which rescues e-waste from landfill and helps food rescue charity SecondBite
The PonyUp for Good process, which rescues e-waste from landfill and helps food rescue charity SecondBite
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