NextStep ReUse

NextStep ReUse (also known as NextStep Recycling) is a non-profit organization based in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1999 by Lorraine Kerwood, to date it has accepted donations of hundreds of thousands of computers and other electronic devices. Kerwood, diagnosed with autism, taught herself to repair computers in college.  As a social worker, she fixed them for her clients and others; by 2004 she had left her job and expanded her operations to a warehouse.

Hundreds of volunteers have provided over 136,000 hours of service refurbishing and recycling electronics. To date, 20,000 computers have been refurbished and more than 6.2-million pounds of electronic waste have been recycled.

The organization and its founder were profiled on the CBS News program The Early Show on March 7, 2008.  In the same year, Kerwood won a $100,000 "Volvo for Life" award honoring her for public service.

References

Category:Organizations based in Eugene, Oregon
Category:Reuse
Category:1999 establishments in Oregon