Visa, one of the largest payment technology companies in the world operating in more than 200 countries and territories, today announced its commitment to circularity with a sponsorship of the existing Bay Area Reuse Marketplace, and the launch of the new Atlanta Reuse Marketplace on Rheaply. Businesses and nonprofits of all sizes can use the marketplace to facilitate the exchange of workplace assets where they can buy, sell or donate materials such as furniture, fixtures, equipment (FF&E) as well as specialized industrial byproducts and building materials for recycling or recovery purposes. To get started, organizations can sign up for the Atlanta Reuse Marketplace here, and the Bay Area Marketplace here.
Activating recommerce of surplus workplace resources
The launch in Atlanta and the Bay Area follows Visa’s commitment to building the circular economy through city-wide sponsorships that focus on recommerce, the first of which launched last October in Washington, DC.
Visa empowers businesses and consumers to adopt small changes that promote sustainability and circularity. Recommerce, or circular consumption, is a quick way to reintroduce products and materials into the economy rather than discarding them, thereby reducing waste and pollution. Regenerative business models such as Resale, Repair, and Rental can open up a $6 billion market, and businesses can leverage recommerce to reduce costs, increase brand loyalty, and support a lower carbon footprint.
As a world leader in digital payments by facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities, Visa is poised to drive sustainable business and empower individuals to rethink living choices based on circular economy principles.
Why Atlanta can be the next circular city
The Atlanta Reuse Marketplace will help businesses turn their unwanted workplace resources like reclaimed furniture, fixtures, and equipment into a recommerce and/or donation opportunities in the community. Atlanta was chosen by Visa because diverse collaborations related to reuse, recycling and circularity already exist across Atlanta neighborhoods, as organizations continue to build momentum to draw down emissions and create a healthy, just, and equitable future.
Atlanta’s circularity goals are the result of collaborative efforts involving several government bodies and initiatives
The City of Atlanta Office of Sustainability & Resilience: This office plays a central role in developing and implementing sustainability and circular economy strategies, including the handling of unusual waste streams. The goal is to achieve a 90% diversion rate by 2035 through enhanced waste management and education efforts.
Atlanta Department of Public Works: Responsible for waste management and recycling services, this department supports the city’s waste diversion goals and manages initiatives related to composting and recycling.
Atlanta City Council: The City Council supports and legislates on policies related to environmental sustainability, including waste reduction and resource efficiency. Council members often advocate for and enact legislation to support circular economy goals.
Atlanta BeltLine Partnership: Though not a government body, this non-profit works closely with city officials to incorporate circular economy principles into the BeltLine project, focusing on sustainable development and community engagement.
Lifecycle Building Center: The organization accepts material donations at its store—a historic building in Murphy Triangle, Atlanta’s industrial corridor—and circulates them back into the community through resale and donations to nonprofits. Lifecycle Building Center is a Member Organization of Build Reuse, a nonprofit organization established in 1994 that serves as the premier national organization encouraging the recovery, reuse, and recycling of building materials in the United States.
Sponsorship of the Bay Area Reuse Marketplace signals more growth
The existing Bay Area Reuse marketplace will receive a significant boost thanks to Visa’s presence in the area, with a rich network of merchants and financial institutions operating in CA. The company’s headquarters is located in San Francisco, California, and will offer a significant presence in this region to boost recommerce on the platform.
First developed in late 2021 through a collaboration between the City of San Francisco and the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, the Bay Area Marketplace continues to gain momentum with the support of Google and now Visa. The marketplace features over 165 participating organizations. Since 2021, the Bay Area Reuse Marketplace has achieved several important sustainability and financial milestones:
397,000 kg embodied carbon emission avoidance
433,000 lbs of weight diverted from the landfill
$3.9M recaptured in the local economy
Visa collaborates with many other tech companies, startups, and financial institutions based in the Bay Area to drive innovation in payments and financial services, while supporting a number of community initiatives and corporate social responsibility efforts. As such, the Bay Area is a strategic location for Visa to be at the forefront of advancements in sustainability and circular economy.
Create your free Rheaply account
Businesses of all sizes can now utilize the Atlanta Reuse Marketplace and the Bay Area Reuse Marketplace platform to extend the life of valuable products and materials, cut costs, reduce landfill waste, and achieve their sustainability goals collectively.
Follow these easy steps:
- For Atlanta, go to: https://rheaply.com/cities/ga/atlanta/
- For the Bay Area, go to https://rheaply.com/cities/ca/bay-area/
- Complete the sign up form
- Once approved, you’ll receive an email from Rheaply to set up your account
- List your first item through the “Create” button
- Browse for items and make an offer!
