In 2017 our founder was taking a break from graduate studies by enjoying a cheeky pint at the local pub with a friend. This friend had recently returned from a work trip to Vanuatu to collaborate with local and international agencies on relief efforts still underway from the cyclones in 2015 and 2016.

They were floored by tales of comically impractical donations hampering relief efforts like those in Vanuatu: fur coats, pallets of sex toys, and even more astonishingly, an entire shipping container of only left boots. Not only were these left boots and other ridiculous commodities eating up valuable resources for those suffering from disaster and those there to help them, but they had also been left to rot, being thrown in a landfill or left where they stood.

This disconnect from the environment and the needs of the affected communities was deeply concerning. How could someone tackle this monumental issue that lurks behind the scenes of every major disaster on the planet? What if someone could combine creative materials recycling with making humanitarian aid more efficient and locally focused?

Thinking became learning, learning became planning, planning became action, and RightBoot was born.

RightBoot’s mission is to be the solution and partner for those unwanted left boots;

and walk towards a world where unsolicited donations become complete aid solutions.