Andy Ruben - Changing the Way Consumerism Works and Saving the Planet with Re-Commerce

Wild Ideas Worth Living

REI Co-op

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4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2018

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Andy Ruben has had a unique career path. After working as the Chief Sustainability Officer for Walmart, saw just how many products are bought and never used or thrown out, and decided to do something about it. In 2012, he co-founded Yerdle, a company that focuses on buying back and reselling products that might otherwise end up in a landfill, a process Andy calls “re-commerce.” Now he helps companies like REI, Patagonia, and Eileen Fisher with their own buy-back programs.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast features eco entrepreneur Andy Rubin.
0:04.0	Welcome to Wild Ideas Worth Living,
0:08.0	an adventure podcast presented by REI Coop,
0:11.0	the brand who helps get you outside through gear, classes, and adventures.
0:15.6	We talk to experts who have taken a wild idea and made it a reality so you can too.
0:20.5	From people who have climbed the tallest peaks, started thriving businesses, and even broken records,
0:25.6	some of the wildest ideas can lead to the most rewarding adventures.
0:29.9	I'm your host, Shelby Stanger, and I hope you enjoy this show. one go from working at Walmart as an executive to founding one of the most eco-forward
0:44.0	thinking companies around. Today's guest Andy Rubin's path to founding Yurdle, a company that
0:49.2	focuses on Recommers, is an interesting one. Andy actually had a really cool job at Walmart.
0:54.0	He was the company's first ever chief sustainability officer.
0:58.0	In 2012, he had a wild idea to reduce the amount of new items we purchased by 25%. So we co-founded Yertol. It's a B corporation
1:06.0	that focuses on the buying back and reselling of items that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
1:11.8	We talk about how we got to Walmart and into business in the
1:14.3	first place, how Yurtel works with brands like Patagonia and REI and how it affects
1:18.9	consumers like us, what we can all do to take better care of our planet and how you can work in
1:24.3	sustainability including what you should study, read and why working with a big
1:28.2	company is actually a great option if you want to do impactful work. I like people who take untraditional
1:34.2	pass toward their careers and this is a great story from a forward thinker
1:38.0	wanting to make a bigger impact on our environment. Enjoy.
1:48.0	All right, Andy, welcome to Wild Ideas Worth Living. I think we should just start with,
1:50.0	tell us what is Yertol.
	...

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