Tech Dump + Tech Discounts = Repowered

Repowered

Tech Discounts and Tech Dump are coming together as one for a seamless recycling, partnering, and shopping experience!

These two arms of our enterprise will no longer be separate entities. Now, the full scope of our work will be done under a new name: Repowered.

This change reflects our multi-faceted mission of recycling and refurbishing electronics and working toward digital equity while providing paid training and jobs for people facing barriers to employment.

Tech Dump and Tech Discounts Are Now Repowered!

 

As we’ve grown, we’ve come to realize that these names we’ve used for over a decade (Tech Dump since 2011 and Tech Discounts since 2016) aren’t serving us anymore.

Our first collection event in 2011 was a two-day tech dump…fast forward 11 years, and we are now a well-respected 3rd party certified ITAD organization with a NAID certification in data security! And honestly, we are the farthest thing from a dump. So…it was time to dump the “Dump”!

Bringing our brands together under this new name provides a more accurate reflection of our mission and values, and showcases the immense capabilities we offer for people, planet, and technology.

We’re excited for our customers to learn about the full spectrum of what we do: So many people who recycle with us aren’t aware that they can also purchase affordable technology from us, and people who shop with us don’t know that we also recycle! And all of this happens in support of our people and our work readiness program.

What Repowered Means to Us

The core focus of what we do is proving that everyone and everything has value. Our new name relays that mission to our corporate and residential clients, as well as to those in the social enterprise and workforce sectors.

  • Too many people are underestimated and excluded from our workforce.
  • Too many electronics (that still work!) are being thrown in the trash…while some households don’t have access to a home computer in an age where digital access is essential.

We’re here to connect those pieces. We do this by giving technology a second run and the people who restore it a fair chance. Together, we are Repowered.

As our CEO, Amanda LaGrange, says:

“We are so much more than just a place for people to get rid of outdated or unwanted tech items. ‘Repowered’ sums up the good things that can happen when we look at the world through a lens of transformation, something we see every day with our IT disposition work, our focus on providing affordable quality refurbished tech options, and of course it highlights the positive outcomes we witness in working with our Work Readiness Employees.“

Providing Fair Chances for People, Planet, and Technology

Our Big Hopeful Audacious Goal (BHAG) at Repowered is to create a new model of scalable social enterprise that will improve people’s lives while providing a solution to climate change.

People

Job TrainingEverything we do starts with people. Our work is to highlight the truth that every person is defined by their future and everyone has something to contribute to the wider community. A person never stops deserving the chance to grow, regardless of their background.

To that end, we employ adults with a history of incarceration, supporting their re-entry with paid, on-the-job technical and soft skills training. And in collaboration with nonprofit partners, these Work Readiness Employees also receive support for addiction recovery, help with rebuilding and maintaining good mental and physical health, and access to affordable, stable housing.

Work Readiness Employees frequently find full-time employment with Repowered or through outside placement.

Planet

In addition to our Work Readiness Program, we help businesses and individuals ethically, sustainably, and securely dispose of IT assets that contain toxic materials and confidential data.

We remove e-waste from our waste stream by breaking materials down to the component levels and ensuring those materials are handled at every point to the highest environmental and data security standards, verified by independent auditors. We maintain ISO 14001, ISO 45001, R2 (Responsible Recycling), and NAID® certifications.

Technology

Business Electronics RecyclingRepowered also prioritizes reuse whenever possible. This allows us to make reliable and affordable technology available to our community.

​​Not everyone can afford to buy new tech, and access can be life changing in today’s world where nearly everything happens online. At Repowered, people can access quality refurbished tech items that help bridge this digital divide.

Many items that come through our doors have a lot of life left. After all data is permanently destroyed, computers and other electronics slated for reuse go to our Test and Repair department. Here, they are thoroughly tested for functionality, repaired, and often improved (for example, adding a Solid State Drive or more RAM to a computer).

These electronics are then made available for sale at competitive prices to businesses and the general public. You can shop in-person at one of our two retail stores or online.

What This Change Means for Our Customers and Business Partners

You may be wondering, “How will this change affect day-to-day operations?”

The good news is, our daily operations will stay the same! The only changes we’re making are in our new name, logo, and energized brand presence. Watch for our new branding, logo, and tagline at our facilities in St. Paul and Golden Valley as well as our apparel, new website (launching in late July!), future communications, and our fleet of vehicles in the coming weeks.

Beyond that, the services, technology, and people you’ve come to know and love will remain the same. We will continue to deliver the technology recycling and refurbishment expertise you’ve come to expect, with no interruption in service.

In fact, if you’re in need of a pickup right now, give us a call at 763.432.3117 to get that scheduled!

And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on future announcements and other happenings at Repowered.

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