We live in a modern world full of technology and electronics, but there’s no doubt about the fact that these industries work fast. Almost as soon as we’ve unlocked our new cell phones, a fresh new model is released, and our old one finds its way into the trash. What most people don’t realize, though, is that most electronic items can be recycled. Now, this new recycling scheme is giving ex-felons the chance to change the world – and their own lives – one electronic item at a time.
Re-Imagining Waste
A huge amount of waste makes its way into landfills every single year, and one San Francisco company wants to put an end to that. In the past, Brightmark has been working hard to reduce the amount of plastic sitting on landfill for hundreds of years, and they have also developed a way to turn food and agricultural waste into renewable energy. However, it seems as though these aren’t the only projects they have been working on.
A New Mission
Although Brightmark wants to make the world a healthier and more ecologically-friendly place, they also want people to be given the opportunities to change the world themselves. Because of this, they have created a new project called RecycleForce. The aim of this program is to recycle old electronics, but they don’t hire anyone who walks in with their resume in hand. This program is dedicated to those who have come out of jail and are looking to change their future.
Bettering Themselves
These ex-felons turn up every day and make a difference as they sort through these old electronics, and Brightmark has seen a serious improvement in their mental wellbeing and career prospects since the program began. In fact, only 23% of these ex-felons re-offend after this program, which is much better than the 60-75% average.
This just goes to show that the world can be bettered in so many ways.