Partner Profiles: How Local Businesses Are Powering Our Mission

Meet the Local Heroes Turning E-Waste into Impact: How Repair Shops, Retailers, and Logistics Partners Power the Circular Economy

Picture this: a drawer in nearly every home overflowing with tangled cords, chipped phones, and tired old tablets. These aren’t just forgotten gadgets; they’re silent artifacts of an age spinning faster than our systems can handle. Every year, humanity generates over 50 million tons of electronic waste, more than the weight of every commercial airplane ever built. Most of it? Left to rot in landfills or shipped to the margins of the world, where it poisons water, air, and communities.

At YouMadeThis, we see these discarded objects differently. To us, a cracked screen isn’t the end of the story, it’s the beginning of a circular one. But here’s the truth: we can’t do this alone. Our mission thrives not in isolation, but in collaboration, with everyday champions who roll up their sleeves and turn intention into impact.

This article is a celebration of those champions: the small repair shops breathing life back into broken tech, the retailers amplifying awareness through action, and the logistics companies who don’t just move goods, they move progress. These partners aren’t just supporting our mission. They’re powering it.

In a world obsessed with the next new thing, they help us rediscover the value of what already exists. Their stories are local. Their impact is global. And today, we’re inviting you to step into their world.

Part One: Repair Shops, The Frontline of the Circular Economy

When it comes to fighting the electronic waste crisis, few warriors are as unsung, or as indispensable, as the neighborhood repair technician. Behind cluttered benches and magnifying lamps, these skilled artisans do what mass production forgot: they fix things. In their hands, cracked casings are carefully sealed, batteries are revived, and motherboards are reborn. Each tool they wield is an act of resistance against the throwaway culture we’ve been conditioned to accept.

Take, for instance, Circuit Revival, a local partner in Portland that’s transformed a modest workshop into a hub of hope. Working with YMT since early 2024, they’ve refurbished over 2,500 laptops, many of which now serve students in under-resourced schools. The scent of solder and ozone lingers in the air as founder Keisha Mendes gestures proudly to shelves lined with tech once declared “dead.” For her, every successful reboot is more than a repair; it’s a story of reclamation.

“I see potential where others see waste,” she says. “That’s the difference between a landfill and a lifeline.”

These shops don’t just fix devices. They open their doors after hours to train volunteers, donate workspace for YMT collection efforts, and offer discounted or in-kind services that keep our programs running without breaking the bank. Whether it’s lending soldering irons or mentoring youth in our community tech upskilling projects, they embody the collaborative spirit our mission depends on.

Thanks to partners like Circuit Revival, we’ve diverted thousands of kilograms of e-waste from landfills and reduced associated emissions by over 18 metric tons last year alone. It’s proof that when you invest in fixing, you multiply the value, not just of objects, but of opportunity and dignity.

As environmentalists, we often grapple with the intangible; parts per million, policy frameworks, and planetary boundaries. But here, change is tangible. It hums in repaired circuit boards, glows in re-lit screens, and manifests in the delighted smile of someone receiving a second-chance device.

Part Two: Electronics Retailers, Amplifying Awareness, One Bin at a Time

Walk into your favorite electronics store. Fluorescent lights gleam off sleek packaging. Rows of brand-new devices hum with possibility. Now imagine, just to the left of the checkout line, a simple, almost unassuming addition: a bright green collection bin stamped with the YMT logo and a bold message, “Don’t Trash It. Transform It.” That bin, and the decision it invites, changes everything.

Retailers are often seen as the starting line of consumption. But today, many of them are flipping the script, becoming gateways to sustainability by offering their customers a second choice: one that leads away from the landfill and back into the loop.

Consider GreenGadgets, a regional retailer in Austin, Texas. Last spring, they didn’t just install drop-off bins; they made a promise. For every kilogram of e-waste their customers returned, they pledged a $1 donation to support YMT’s nationwide expansion. The response was electric. In just six weeks, they collected over 3.2 tons of e-waste and raised $10,000 in matched funds.

“We realized we weren’t just selling devices; we were shaping habits,” says store manager Luis Ortiz. “Our customers want to do the right thing. We just had to make it visible and easy.”

Retail partners like GreenGadgets understand something essential: behavior change doesn’t start with guilt. It starts with access. By embedding bins in store entrances, placing prompts near checkout counters, and training staff to answer questions about e-waste, they nudge customers toward better choices at the exact moment of decision.

These micro-interventions, low-lift for businesses, high-impact for the environment, become part of a much larger ecosystem of change. The bins collect not just batteries and broken headphones, but also trust, awareness, and community alignment.

Beyond physical drop-offs, many retailers are stepping up financially too. Matching-fund drives, like the one GreenGadgets ran, allow YMT to double our reach in underserved areas. Every matched dollar supports infrastructure, transportation, and education initiatives that keep electronics circulating longer and responsibly.

When customers see their favorite stores investing in solutions, it builds more than brand loyalty. It builds climate solidarity.

We’ve seen firsthand how co-branded campaigns between YMT and retailers ignite conversations. Whether it’s email newsletters explaining what happens after a device is collected, or limited-time promotions where customers get discounts for recycling, these campaigns demystify the recycling process and make sustainability actionable.

One standout? EcoElectro, a national chain, recently piloted a buy-back rebate program with YMT that offers store credit in exchange for returned electronics. In the first month, returns tripled, and customer satisfaction surveys showed a 28% increase in brand perception around environmental responsibility.

Part Three: Logistics Companies, Moving More Than Materials

When we talk about recycling, the focus often lands on collection and processing, but behind the scenes, another story unfolds. It’s a story told in miles and movement, driven not just by trucks and timetables but by purpose. Because what good is saving a device if you can’t get it where it needs to go?

That’s where our logistics partners come in. They’re the quiet engines of our circular mission, turning coordination into conservation and moving more than just materials; they move momentum.

At first glance, CleanHaul Logistics might look like any other mid-sized transportation company, rows of trucks lined up in tidy formation, dispatchers pacing between loading docks, clipboards in hand. But dig deeper, and you’ll find an operation deeply aligned with YMT’s environmental values.

In early 2025, CleanHaul committed 200 truck-hours to our e-waste recovery program, entirely pro bono. More than just generous, it was strategic: they deployed their electric fleet across high-volume pick-up zones, drastically cutting both cost and emissions.

“Efficiency isn’t just about time; it’s about the planet,” says operations manager Amina Dube. “If we can reroute just one collection trip and save 40 kilometers of diesel travel, that’s a win for everyone.”

These logistics partnerships are more than backend support; they reflect a cultural shift in how we approach waste. It’s one thing to talk about circularity in concept; it’s another to plan routes that prioritize carbon-neutral delivery or to invest in warehouse training that ensures sensitive materials are separated, labeled, and protected from cross-contamination.

YMT works closely with these partners to implement strict handling protocols. From certified data destruction in-transit to smart packaging systems that reduce single-use plastic, our logistics network helps maintain integrity from origin to destination.

Not all innovation is on wheels. We’ve recently partnered with EcoFreight, a start-up piloting solar-powered micro-sorting hubs in urban centers. These mobile stations allow for on-the-spot categorization of incoming e-waste, dramatically reducing both sorting time and secondary emissions caused by redundant transport. It’s a glimpse of the future, one where mobility and sustainability are inseparable.

Without logistics support, our programs stall. With it, we scale. Every donation box emptied, every repairable device delivered to a technician, every battery diverted from landfill, that’s a result of someone somewhere making sure things move with care and conscience.

It’s easy to overlook the trucks behind the movement. But they’re there, humming quietly down city streets and rural back roads alike, delivering not just packages, but possibility.

In the fight against electronic waste, there is no single solution; only networks of people, purpose, and partnership. Repair shops that defy obsolescence. Retailers that turn storefronts into collection hubs. Logistics teams that carry our mission across cities, regions, and time zones. These aren’t just businesses. They’re co-authors in a story we’re writing together: one where technology doesn’t end in a landfill but begins a new chapter in someone else’s hands.

At YouMadeThis, we believe every act of sustainability is a spark. But sparks need fuel. They need wind. They need people, like the partners we’ve profiled here, who keep the fire burning, not for profit, but for planet.

So the next time you drop off an old tablet, spot a green bin in your local shop, or see an electric van rolling down your street, remember: that’s your movement in motion.

Because no matter where you are, you’re a part of this ecosystem. A piece of the cycle. A spark in the system.