National Donation Collection Firm Coming To West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A national company that collects donations for nonprofit groups is coming to West Hartford, its first New England location, after zoning board approval last week.

GreenDrop, based out of Bensalem, Pa., is a national, for-profit company that operates collection sites and offers on-site pickup on behalf of nonprofit partners in some locations.

It is planning to erect a 358-square-foot mobile "GreenDrop" mobile trailer/office at the shopping plaza at 176 Newington Road, currently home to a Stop & Shop and a Dollar Tree.

The West Hartford Plan & Zoning Commission voted 6-0 last week to approve a temporary special use permit for Greendrop, allowing it to operate at the plaza for a year.

The vote followed a public hearing in which no one from the community commented and GreenDrop representatives presented their plans before the PZC.

Zoning board members were supportive of GreenDrop's arrival, which is temporarily slated to be here for a year, but that could change depending on how successful the collection operation is.

"This is really, really interesting to me. I'm really excited to see how it works," said West Hartford PZC member John Lyons. " I'm going to vote to support. I really hope this works out. It's a unique business concept."

West Hartford PZC Chairman Kevin Ahern echoed those sentiments.

"Sometimes you look at something and ask 'How do they make money?' But, obviously, they do," he said. "But you also ask, 'How do they make money and do good at the same time?' But they do."

Ahern said, depending on how GreenDrops does, it could grow in West Hartford.

"It's a good location for it. It's a nice test site that could spawn further locations in town," Ahern said.

According to the project narrative submitted to the town, GreenDrop is a professional fund-raising company that accepts donations on behalf of the American Red Cross and other organizations.

Those donations are usually gently used clothing, shoes, and household goods. Those items, then, stock the shelves of various second-hand retail stores whose proceeds benefit various charities like the Red Cross.

GreenDrop pays the nonprofit for the donations, helping to fund the nonprofit programs while providing an easy way for residents to donate their usable, personal items with tax deductions.

In some markets, GreenDrop will show up to homes and haul away items if enough has been accumulated.

For West Hartford, GreenDrop plans to have a trailer on the Elmwood Plaza site, along with a small, mobile office building where staff would assist clients donating their items.

The location would be to the side of the plaza property on unused land.

This would be GreenDrop's first foray into Connecticut as it currently operates in 11 states in the country, the closest being New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

For information about the application at 176 Newington Road, click on this link.

For the project narrative, click on this link.

For more information on GreenDrop, click on this link.