What to do with all that clutter: sell it or give it away on ReShop.ph

ReShop.ph couldn’t have picked a better time to launch: with Christmas and New Year just around the corner, people are starting to perform their yearly ritual of decluttering.

If you’ve got something you’ve used a few times and is now hid at the back of your closet, or if you’re planning on buying a new gadget and selling your old one, a team of entrepreneurs from the Philippines wants to introduce you to the idea of “re-commerce.”

ReShop.ph, which went live on November 15, allows users to give away or sell unwanted items to people who have better use for them. The operative word is “use” – which means items must be usable and in good condition.

Environmentally speaking, the site lets you practice those three “Rs” many of us neglect: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

“ReShop.ph aims to build an eco-conscious community and a nationwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources, and eases the burden on our landfills,” founder Mark Agana explains.

In Metro Manila alone, 1,800 tons of garbage is thrown away every day, of which 40 percent could still be reused and recycled, Agana says, citing a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Rewards for being green

So think of ReShop.ph as your donation center or garage sale with an ecommerce twist.

Like conventional online marketplaces, Agana says ReShop.ph has a system for rating users’ integrity. Users also earn “green points” for every interaction on the platform and when they get others to sign up. They may use their accumulated points to redeem rewards from ReShop.ph’s partners, including businesses and individuals.

Agana says they’re trying to get SM, Globe Telecom and Starbucks as reward partners, to name a few.

Apart from rewards, users will eventually be able to use their points for the purchase of brand new or “upcycled” eco-friendly products from an e-store that ReShop.ph will set up. “We will be integrating an online store soon,” Agana says.

The store, along with ReShop.ph’s mobile app, will comprise the startup’s “phase two,” which will allow it to monetize its services.

Agana says the team is focusing on making Filipinos aware of an easy way they can reduce waste and conserve the environment.