Finding Treasure: The elephant-size reuse opportunity with Cathy Benwell, A Good Thing
About this episode
Emma Burlow interviews Cathy Benwell about the reuse opportunities connecting businesses with charities through surplus items.
In this practical and inspiring episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow sits down with Cathy Benwell , co-founder of A Good Thing, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that has created a matchmaking platform connecting 1,000 UK businesses donating surplus items with 3,500 charities and non-profits desperate for exactly those materials, from construction supplies and hotel bedding to branded merchandise and the occasional life-size inflatable elephant. Starting in February 2020 with just 10 businesses and 15 charities, this volunteer-powered organisation (45 volunteers supporting one part-time paid operations manager) has grown explosively by solving a problem everyone recognises but few have systematically addressed: businesses drowning in perfectly good stuff they no longer need, charities surrounded by wealthy organisations yet struggling to access basic supplies, and the frustrating reality that what people do naturally at home through Freecycle or Facebook Marketplace somehow becomes impossible once they walk into their workplace. Cathy's background spans publishing (graduate training scheme with a book company), government communications as a civil…
People in this episode
Host: Emma Burlow
Guest: Cathy Benwell
Topics covered
- reuse
- charity
- business
- surplus items
- community interest company
Keywords
- reuse
- surplus
- charity
- business
- community interest company
- matchmaking platform
- donation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: A Good Thing, HomeStart
Places: UK
More episodes of Straight Talking Sustainability
- Speak Up Woman! Uncomfortable conversations with Annie Beavis
- Building an Army - The Secret to Scaling Sustainability
- You Cant Make Money From a Dead Planet with Mark Shayler
- Know When To Hold 'em
- Why Poor Design Still Blocks Progress with Dr Vicky Lofthouse
- New Normal: Remove Sustainability Friction With Defaults
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Straight Talking Sustainability podcast page.