Brng.it is a program that uses mobile phone technology, education and outreach, and social networking to encourage the Bring Your Own Reusable ethic (#BYOR) in place of using single-use disposable items.

1. Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition
Brng.it is a program that uses mobile phone technology, education and Contact:
outreach, and social networking to encourage the Bring Your Own Reusable John Rabasa
Co-Founder, Managing Director
ethic (#BYOR) in place of using single-use disposable items. john@brng.it
(m) 434.409.5281
@brng_it /Brng.it

2. The Problem
Every time a bottle bill or plastic bag ban is proposed, opponents are quick to
point out that these measures are unnecessary because we can simply recycle.
What is often missed is that recycling captures only 7.1% of post-consumer
plastics, 21.1% of aluminum and 23.1% of glass1. Plastic is recycled in a so-
called “open loop,” downcycled into a lesser grade product that cannot be
recycled again.
For most of us, recycling is the introduction to living in a more ecologically
responsible way. Recycling is important, diverting valuable resources from the
Via Flickr. CC attribution, non-commercial use, share-alike , Nemo’s Great Uncle
landfill or incinerator, but recycling has also masked the real problem: we are
consuming resources and producing waste at unsustainable levels2 and
harming human and environmental health in the process.
Adopting a zero waste mentality does not come naturally in our society. It
requires new habits that emphasize refusing, reducing and reusing in our daily
lives.
827,000 to 1.3 million tons of plastic PET water bottles were produced in the U.S. in 2006, requiring the
energy equivalent of 50 million barrels of oil. 76.5 percent of these bottles ended up in landfills.3
Brng.it
Brng.it Concept Brief
2 Think Beyond
Proprietary and confidential Plastic – Innovation Competition

3. Solving the Problem
Our Insight: Building sustainable Brng.it motivates and rewards individuals
habits is not unlike other goals we aim for refusing single-use items by bringing
to adopt, like losing weight or getting fit. and using their own reusable items.
We benefit from support systems such
Using our app on their smartphone,
as:
individuals “check-in” to a location—such
• Setting goals and having a way to as a store, coffee shop or their place of
measure progress7 work—and “tag” the reusable items they
brought.
• Belonging to a like-minded
Via Flickr. CC - attribution and share alike, Ed Yourdon
community Every time you BYOR, Brng.it follows your
progress, recognizes your achievements,
• Getting recognized and rewarded helps you “see” your impact individually
and collectively, and allows you to share
your action with friends and family on
Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare.
Brng.it
3 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

4. Our Customer: Businesses and Institutions
Brng.it is free to consumers, but sold as a turn-key program to
businesses and institutions to help them meet their Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability goals on an annual
subscription basis.
Benefits include:
• Reducing expenses associated with supply and disposal of
single-use products.
• Measurement of progress on sustainability goals.
Via Flickr CC - attribution, non-commercial, Neil Kandalgaonkar
• Reducing environmental harm resulting from single-use
disposables (toxics, emissions, litter, wildlife impacts).
• Engagement with stakeholders through supporting responsible
resource use and environmental protection.
Brng.it
4 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

5. How it Works
Our user checks in at the
store, café, etc. and tags
the items he brings,
generating points. Merchants pay for tools to
verify check-ins and offer
rewards to their customers.
Business and Institutions
that subscribe to Brng.it get
a program that provides
metrics, employee
engagement, reduction of
He also checks in at work, their waste and support to
earning more points. meet their sustainability
goals.
Brng.it
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6 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

6. Sales & Marketing
Our strategy is to enter businesses and institutions through a “bottom-up” and a “top-down” approach. Bottom-up is by targeting individual
users, specifically sustainability minded millennials and students, to adopt and use Brng.it in their daily life, including at school and at work.
Top-down will require contacting HR, Sustainability and CSR professionals at businesses and universities, focusing our sales efforts in key
markets where our data shows our users are checking-in and using our product.
The three pillars to our strategy are:
Create Awareness and Adoption Activate on University Campuses Approach Corporations
Grow our audience, primarily using social media Generate interest and awareness inside of Mine data where our users are checking-in at
and PR campuses with key partnerships and WOM work and locations nearby. Begin sales effort
using those leads. Promote the service via trade
• Launch crowdfunding campaign to generate • Hire an agency, such as KIP Digital (student publications and events.
awareness and support product development. run) that focuses on WOM and student
engagement, starting in key universities (UVa, • Pilot program at one or two corporations to
• Partner with a cause and a donor that will UC Berkeley, CU-Boulder, Tufts, etc.). work out product and program offerings, as
match donations with items reduced, and well as create case-studies to publish.
create the One Million Disposable Items • Sponsor sustainability events at universities,
Refused campaign. and make Brng.it part of the events. • Attend and participate at conferences and
events focused on sustainability and
• Create content to grow and leverage our social • Partner with the universities’ catering and employee engagement, such as SxSW Eco.
media presence (Blog, Twitter, and Facebook). waste management vendors, such as Aramark
or WM, to introduce Brng.it as part of their • Create and place content in publications,
*YEAR ONE COST: $5,000 – $10,000 offerings. newsletters and blogs aimed at CSR.
*YEAR ONE COST: $20,000 – $30,000 *YEAR ONE COST: $20,000 – $30,000 Brng.it
*Does not include salaries 6 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

7. Competitors
Competitor Description How Brng.it Differs
Similarly, Brng.it aims to provide the organization with tools to measure
Causecast combines social networking with tools to help businesses and the impact of the program. While the focus of Causecast is giving and
organizations manage community volunteering, donations, matching, and volunteering for the benefit of charities and causes, Brng.it looks to
cause campaigns. improve the organization’s own sustainability practices as it moves
Causecast employees toward sustainable behaviors.
While Practically Green has a diverse set of content, the site gives credit
Practically Green uses a diagnostic tool, game mechanics and social networks for doing something once, mixing together mundane items (take shoes
to help people reduce energy, save water, limit exposure to household toxins, off at home) with rare ones (buying a washing machine). Brng.it focuses
and preserve natural resources. It is free for consumers, and they sell their on building habits that can be applied regularly, and is not limited to the
content and program to corporation’s for employee engagement. grocery store or the coffee shop, as the individual learns to get credit
Practically Green from any opportunity to reduce waste at the source.
At Recyclebank, you earn points for taking everyday green actions like
learning how to use less water or making greener purchases. Then, you can Recyclebank actions that are rewarded are often pledges, or purchases
use those points to get rewards. Rewards come from participating brands of sponsored products. Brng.it is used at the time and place that the
that want to market to their users. They work directly with consumers and action is taken, and is therefore more specific and measurable, especially
brands, and at this point, not with businesses or organizations. when we are able to roll out verified check-ins.
Recylebank
VolunteerMatch demonstrates the model and opportunity with a long
VolunteerMatch matches volunteers with causes. Causes, charities and non-
history and a diversity of offerings. Brng.it’s focus is not on
profits list their needs. Volunteers are able to search for opportunities. They
volunteerism, but on small acts of activism and ongoing waste
have a robust set of tools for corporations to engage employees, brands to
reduction. Our approach is more along the lines of health and fitness
align with causes, and universities to manage all campus wide volunteering,
programs that allow goals to be set, progress to be measured, and
VolunteerMatch helping students fulfill service hours.
access to a community of like-minded supporters.
Brng.it
7 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

8. People
John is founder of User Experience and Product Strategy Jim Davidson is an early-stage investor and advisor with over
consultancy, UX Partners. Previously he was Head of 20-years of internet technology experience. Previously, he
Product and co-founder at I’mOK,. was a senior leader at Aol where he served as CTO of
DigitalCity, the internet's first hyper-local portal, and later as
Before that was Managing Director for SF office of Publicis VP of Web Services and Publishing. Jim has also been a
Modem, in charge of the P&L, the Experience Strategy leader at early-stage companies including: CTO of
practice and oversight of key accounts. ShareThis.com, President of Examiner.com, and co-founder
and CEO of Laborfair.com, an online marketplace for
He has held multiple roles in Product, User Experience and
disadvantaged service providers. Jim is now focused on
John Rabasa Technology at Aol., R/GA, and start-ups ePals and U.S.
News Ventures.
Jim Davidson early-stage impact-investing, providing capital and advice for
Managing Director Board Member companies which leverage technology to further their social-
benefit and sustainability missions. He is also a guarantor
with MicroCredit Enterprises which helps fund micro-loans
Peggy completed the Sustainable Practices Program at Dominican
around the world.
University and the master class of the Environmental Forum of
Marin in 2011. Her project on environmentally preferable food ware
for Marin County was the inspiration for Brng.it.
Previously she was the senior specialist and Head of 20th Century Azin is a serial social entrepeneur who founded HiDef, inc.
Decorative Arts at Christie’s, New York. which focuses on technology solutions for global
social sector NPOs and NGOs. He is currently working on
Peggy Gilges revolutionary new ways to push children's education
technology into the future using mobile tools with his new
Director of Sustainability, venture, Bright Bot, inc. Azin refuses to take a vacation when
Editor-in-Chief the landscape of American business objectives is so skewed
toward profit only; the environment is an afterthought. Azin
Julio is VP of Architecture and Engineering at USA Today Sports believes that there is a better way to be both profitable and
Media. Prior to that he was CTO and co-founder at ImOK with Azin Mernoosh stewards of our environment, and is working to see that
vision realized in everything he does.
John. Advisor
Before joining I’mOK, he was VP of Technology and CTO for
Entertainment and Games at Aol where he headed a global
development organization of software engineers, architects, project
managers and QA. In his 10 year career at Aol., he has managed
Attorney: Kevin Robertson, Ober Kaler
Julio Hernandez- tech teams for various media properties in local, news,
entertainment, and video having supported a wide gamut of online CPA: Tommy Everett, Hampton&Everett
Miyares properties.
Director of Technology
Brng.it
8 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

9. Financials
Item 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Revenue
Number of customers @ $10,000 /
$10,000 $140,000 $450,000 $1,300,000 $3,500,000
anum average subscription price
Other Income (e.g. Sponsorships) $0 $4,000 $80,000 $200,000 $500,000
Expenditures
Cost of production based on number
of active users * $0.20 avg cost / user $6,000 $20,000 $80,000 $200,000 $600,000
for services (e.g. AWS, APIs)
Salaries and benefits, avg $100,000 /
$100,000 $400,000 $800,000 $1,000,000 $1,200,000
employee
Marketing - high estimate, increased
$70,000 $126,000 $226,800 $408,240 $734,832
1.8.x / year
Product development (outsourced) $80,000 $80,000 $40,000 $20,000 $20,000
Rent, supplies, travel, etc. avg
$5,000 $20,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000
$5,000 / employee
Totals
($251,000) ($502,000) ($656,800) ($178,240) $1,385,168
Brng.it
9 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

10. Sustainability efforts on
our part
We are an early stage, impact start-up formed as an
LLC. At the point at which Brng.it needs to be
incorporated as part of our A-Series round, we intend to
do so as a Benefit Corporation, which Virginia recently
allowed. Our LLC has already adopted the charter
VS requirements as part of its operating agreement.
Via Flickr CC - attribution, non-commercial, share alike, Todd Stadler
Our footprint is small, and we favor green partners. Our
Via Flickr CC - attribution, non-commercial, Jonathan Harford
hosting is provided by HostGator, which powers its data
centers with 130% wind energy4. Our printing is by
GreenPrinters on their 100% post consumer paper with
soy inks.
Americans throw away 25 billion non-recyclable styrofoam cups each year, enough to circle the
Earth 436 times. 5
Brng.it
10 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

11. Status
In the Spring of 2012, we received $50,000 from However, we do not feel our current product is
our angel investor, which allowed us to develop sufficient as an MVP to give us the feedback we need,
our minimal viable product as an iOS app, and especially as tested in a corporate environment.
soft-launch it in the iTunes Store late Summer.
Were we to win the $50,000 investment, we would
With no promotion, we have the following use the funds to do some additional product
numbers: development and start our marketing efforts, namely:
• 200 Downloads • Add social rewards and community (badges, etc.)
• Top countries include USA, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, • Using EPA’s WARM, or other methods of calculation,
Brazil, The Netherlands, Austria and Yemen to convert the resource savings into a measurement
of carbon dioxide emissions prevented through
• 90 active members, 423 check-ins, preventing source reduction, giving users and customers an
1088 items from being disposed. even greater illustration of the impact of their
sustainability efforts.
• Port the app to the Android platform, as well as
create a web view of the data.
• Start a pilot with a university, business or
organization.
Brng.it
11 Think Beyond Plastic – Innovation Competition

12. Thank you!
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13. Appendix
Sources and Additional Links
1. In 2008, only 23.1% of glass disposed of was recycled, and
only 7.1% of plastics and 21.1% of aluminum. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. (2009, November).
Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and
Disposal in the United States Detailed Tables and Figures
for 2008. Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
Retrieved June, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/
municipal/pubs/msw2008data.pdf
2. Global Footprint Network –Living Planet Report 2010
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/
2010_living_planet_report/
3. 827,000 to 1.3 million tons of plastic PET water bottles
were produced in the U.S. in 2006, requiring the energy
equivalent of 50 million barrels of oil. 76.5 percent of
these bottles ended up in landfills. – U.S. Government
Accountability Office. (2009, June). Bottled Water: FDA
Safety and Consumer Protections are Often Less
Stringent than Comparable EPA Protections for Tap Water.
Retrieved June 2010 from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/
d09610.pdf
4.http://www.hostgator.com/green-web-hosting.
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14. Sources and Links (cont.)
5. Americans throw away 25 billion non-recyclable styrofoam cups each
year, enough to circle the Earth 436 times. Source: Ed Humes,
Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, (2012), pp. 95-96.
MORE:
Less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled each year. Recycling one
ton of plastic bags costs $4,000. The recycled product can be sold for
$32. – Clean Air Council. (2009, May). Why Plastic Bag Fees Work. http://
www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html
58 billion paper cups are thrown away (not recycled) every year, 20
million trees are cut down in the process of manufacturing paper cups,
and the amount of water used in the process is approximately 12 billion
gallons. Betacup http://www.thebetacup.com/about/
Americans annually use 40 billion plastic knives, forks and spoons.
Source: Ed Humes, Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, (2012),
p.15
The United Nations estimates that a minimum of 7 million tons of trash ends up in the ocean each year. 5.6 million
tons of which (80 percent) is plastic.
Source: Ed Humes, Garbology, Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, (2012), p. 121.
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