Partner Highlight: How Working With Homeboy Helps Nimble Meet Their Goals

At Homeboy Electronics Recycling, we value the relationships we build with each of our clients and partners. Today, we’d like to highlight one of those partners: Nimble.

Nimble shares our passion for sustainability, building ethical technology accessories designed to last (including cell phone cases, chargers, screen protectors, and more) with low-impact materials from ethical suppliers. 

We recently sat down with Kevin Malinowski, co-founder of Nimble. Read on to learn more about Nimble and how partnering with Homeboy has helped them meet their sustainability and extended producer responsibility goals and stay true to their vision.  

Tell us a little about who you are and what you do for Nimble 

I’m a co-founder at Nimble. Part of my duties involve overseeing our sustainability partnerships and initiatives to ensure we’re meeting our impact goals and continuing to drive awareness around key issues facing the consumer electronics industry. These include responsible manufacturing, ethical treatment of workers, and electronic waste recycling

What are Nimble’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, or other big 2023 initiatives?

In 2023, we’re expanding our free recycling programs into Canada. Currently, we provide all US-based customers with free access to our mail-in program so they can easily recycle up to one pound of e-waste for every product purchased. Our drop-off program offers over 1,500 convenient drop-off locations nationwide (no purchase necessary). To date, these programs have successfully recycled over 36,000 pounds of e-waste and plastic phone cases.

Our CO2e Reduction Plan focuses on slashing supply chain emissions from shipping while lowering the carbon footprint of all new products with higher percentages of recycled content and reductions in product size, so fewer materials are used per unit. 

Our “The Year of the Elephant” campaign — in partnership with Sheldrick Wildlife Fund — will promote the incredible work being done to protect Africa’s biodiversity through its rescue and rehabilitation program of elephants and other species. At least 1% of all sales of Nimble products will be donated in support.

Following our initial certification in 2019, we’ll once again be working with B Lab to re-certify our B Corp status as we complete our final phase of verification.

And finally, our “The Grass Isn’t Always Greener” initiative is a content-driven campaign that will address the growing issue of “greenwashing” across our industry.

Why did Nimble decide to partner with Homeboy Electronics Recycling?

Prior to launching Nimble in August of 2018, we were in search of a reputable, fully certified e-waste recycling partner for our nationwide program. We discovered Homeboy Electronic Recycling through the B Corp directory, and quickly learned about both their superior technical capabilities and praiseworthy social commitment to improving the lives of formerly incarcerated individuals. 

Coupled with our close proximity to Homeboy’s Los Angeles headquarters, we quickly realized it was a perfect match! Within weeks of meeting their team, we launched our groundbreaking mail-in recycling program, the One-for-One Tech Recovery Project™.

How does partnering with Homeboy help you achieve your core values?

Nimble’s most fundamental value is accountability. To us, this means not only taking steps to improve workers’ lives and protect our ecosystem, but galvanizing others to do the same by sharing our efforts openly and transparently.

For example, we’ve always believed in being responsible for at least as much electronic waste as we put out into the world. By embracing e-waste action as a core tenet of our company, we consistently educate our audience about its negative impact, and provide tangible ways for them to join us in the fight against it.

Through our partnership with Homeboy Electronics Recycling, we’re able to achieve a higher level of accountability by publishing verified waste collection reports and aligning our own values with Homeboy’s unique approach to enhancing the welfare of its staff.

What has your experience been working with Homeboy? 

Thanks to Homeboy, we’ve experienced continued success with our recycling program. With increasing volumes each month, Homeboy hasn’t skipped a beat, as they constantly improve their processes and reporting methods.

How has working with Homeboy impacted your business? 

The most notable result of our partnership with Homeboy is how it has raised expectations for all brands in our industry. 

At the time we launched, no other brand offered a recycling program of this nature. It’s contributed to the establishment of Nimble’s credibility as a sustainable champion in tech accessories, and continues to be a focal point for new and returning customers alike.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about Nimble? 

Not all tech accessories are created the same. Our products may be ethically manufactured and designed to minimize environmental impact, but they are also award-winning. They’ve been recognized as “best-in-class” by leading tech reviewers from Wired, CNET, Popular Science, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, PC Mag, and many more.

When seeking out the best tech accessory options, consider how the manufacturer conducts its business. Look for trustworthy certifications, details about materials used, end-of-life product solutions, a supplier code of conduct, and genuine financial commitments to the social and environmental health of communities everywhere.

At Homeboy Electronics Recycling, we’re honored to be a part of helping companies like Nimble meet their sustainability goals. If your business would like to explore partnering with Homeboy for your e-waste recycling needs, give us a call today at (323) 222-3322.