Goonj isn’t a recycling initiative.
It’s a grassroots impact network turning urban surplus into tools for rural resilience, dignity, and development.
They’ve been running The Spiral model since 1999—reusing, repurposing, and redistributing everything from clothing and school supplies to knowledge and community labor.
Here’s how they do it—and what your network can learn.
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🌍 Based in India, working across 25+ states
👥 1,700+ team members, volunteers & grassroots partners
💼 4,900+ tonnes of urban surplus repurposed annually
🌎 Major programs in education, disaster relief, health & livelihoods
🔄 Surplus materials exchanged for local development efforts
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Urban surplus (clothes, school supplies, utensils, furniture) is collected, sorted, and redistributed.
Materials are offered in exchange for rural community action—repairing roads, building wells, or cleaning ponds.
This turns waste into:
✔ Compensation for community labor
✔ Infrastructure improvements
✔ Dignified aid without charity framing
"We don’t give charity. We value effort."
— Anshu Gupta, Goonj founder