Thank you for your support
Every Dropbox x RIPL tech bag and water bottle sets off a lasting ripple effect of positive change.
Together, we're lifting people out of poverty, preventing plastic from reaching the ocean, and funding education for girls who otherwise would not have relatable access to a school.
Here's how it works...
Education impact
In partnership with RIPL Goods, every Dropbox tech bag funds a week of education for a girl in an under-resourced community. The impact program provides a path out of poverty by breaking the cycle of illiteracy within families, empowering them to become lifelong learners.
750
The number of education days that Dropbox has funded so far – within RIPL's education impact program – for girls in Zambia, Tanzania, Cambodia and Colombia.
4
The number of schools where students are benefiting from this funding.
20%
The average amount a child's future earning potential increases for every year of secondary school education they receive, in the countries in which our education impact program operates, as identified in recent studies by UNESCO.
Step 1: Identifying the problem
All over the world, girls face disproportionate barriers to education. Approximately 773 million people cannot read, with almost two thirds of those individuals being women and girls, keeping them trapped in poverty and holding them back from fulfilling their potential. Our education program supports children in communities facing deep education, gender and economic inequities, where investments in education sets off a ripple effect of positive change.
Step 2: Funding
Profit from every tech bag is sent to one of our partner organisations on the ground in Zambia, Tanzania, Cambodia or Colombia. They work in low-income communities that have limited access to learning resources, and set up programs that support girls as they develop into lifelong learners, breaking the cycle of illiteracy within their own families.
Step 3: Training and development
Local people are hired and trained as teachers, providing employment and empowering them to support the personal development of girls in their communities. Our impact partners continually evaluate programs, develop resources and ensure the quality of education is consistent across schools.
Step 4: Support
Alongside their standard curriculum, girls in our education impact program are given life-skills classes to help them navigate key life decisions that they're often expected to make at a young age.
Ocean impact
Every Dropbox x RIPL bottle funds a day employment for someone living in a remote coastal community to collect plastic from beaches, rivers and villages, preventing it from reaching the ocean. But your bottle isn't just helping the environment - it's helping to lift families out of poverty by creating jobs that offer reliable income and healthcare benefits.
25
The number of employment days that Dropbox has provided for RIPL's team of plastic collectors so far.
600
The amount of plastic, measured in pounds, that was be prevented from reaching the ocean during that time.
566
The number of garbage bags that would fill (if all the waste was uncrushed soda bottles).
Step 1: Collection
The proceeds from your water bottle are being used to fund the employment of plastic collectors in remote coastal communities. Our teams clean beaches and waterways, and collect directly from homes and businesses where where no collection routes previously existed.
Step 2: Sorting
The waste is taken to an 'impact center', where it is sorted and made ready for recycling.
Step 3: Tracking
Every item of plastic is weighed and registered to verify collection.
Step 4: Processing
Once the data has been registered, the plastic is taken to be recycled, repurposed, or transported to a waste recovery facility.
