MySkip Hosts 24-Hour ‘Celeb Throwaway’

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MySkip, the world’s most secure, easy-to-use and free website dedicated to promoting the reuse of unwanted goods, will host the UK’s first-ever 24-hour ‘Celebrity Throwaway’ in order to raise awareness around the importance of reuse as an alternative to recycling. Everyday items donated by such celebrities as Sheryl Crow, Ricky Gervais and Shilpa Shetty will be available for free at www.myskip.com from 0900 GMT on Tuesday 3 March 2009.

“We believe that reuse will become mainstream as people become more familiar and confident with innovative sites such as those offered by MySkip.”

“MySkip’s work is a positive initiative using advanced technology to transform the way we view everyday waste,” said Dr. Gary Kendall, Director of Climate Change Programs at SustainAbility. “We encourage people and businesses to look at reuse as an alternative to recycling because by extending the life of products we will not only help reduce the size of our landfills but minimise other environmental issues such as dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.”

MySkip also today unveiled an enhanced interactive website designed to help consumers and organisations to easily dispose of or find useful items that might otherwise end-up in British landfills. Every year, UK households send an alarming amount of rubbish to the country’s 4,000 landfills – 15.8 million tonnes in 2007/2008 (Defra).

“MySkip.com’s re-vamped website has been designed with the help of member feedback and now includes SMS alerts notifying users when items become available on the site, social media applications and more stringent security protocols,” said Gary Cope, CEO of MySkip. “We believe that reuse will become mainstream as people become more familiar and confident with innovative sites such as those offered by MySkip.”

What differentiates MySkip is the company’s huge investment in technology which makes reuse free*, quick, easy and secure for people accessing the site using personal computers or mobiles. For example, MySkip developed its own patented security system, Intelligent Communication Identity System (ICIS), a secure platform from which members can give and take items in complete privacy. MySkip also created a first-of-its-kind mobile phone facility that allows users to upload and acquire items in a matter of seconds, as well as receive alerts as soon as sought-after items are posted online.

New MySkip.com Features

Standout features of the re-vamped website include:

• Want only the best? “Pick of the Skip” showcases a selection of the best - and often the most valuable - items for easier viewing.
• Moving home? “House Clearance” is for a total clearout – a simple way to upload many items in one go (minimum of ten).
• Want to be in the know? “Our Planet” hosts a number of useful tools such as an online forum where members can share information and post comments. Here you can find the latest environmental news stories filtered in real-time for your eco quick fix; and for those feeling guilty, you can determine your carbon footprint and even play the ‘SkipEvaders’ arcade game.
• What are celebrities saying? “MySkip TV” houses videos of well-known individuals including Richard Bacon, Angellica Bell, David Bellamy, Eric Knowles, Ingrid Tarrant and others talking candidly about the environment.

MySkip’s 24-Hour Celebrity Throwaway

Since launching in April 2008, MySkip has received the support and endorsement from more than 100 celebrities, business leaders and politicians from around the world who believe in the company’s commitment to raising awareness around reuse as a viable solution to countering our growing reliance on landfills. To this end, MySkip will run a 24-hour Celebrity Throwaway from 0900 Tuesday 3 March to 0800 Wednesday 4 March, posting every hour on the hour everyday items such as a chef’s jacket, leather gloves and an electronic pocket organiser, all of which have been donated by celebrities.

“We encourage people to participate in the ‘celebrity throwaway’ so they can get excited about reuse, and see that reuse is easy to incorporate into their everyday routine,” added May Al-Karooni, Director of Operations, MySkip.

During the throwaway, users will only need to search the site for their favourite celebrity’s anonymous item. (We won’t be telling you what the item is as it is about the action – not the item – that will help draw attention to the serious issues surrounding unnecessary waste.)

The schedule of when items will be posted online is found below:

Tuesday 3 March

0900: Ricky Gervais, English Comedian

1000: Sheryl Crow, American Singer and Songwriter

1100: Ken Hom, American-Chinese Chef

1200: Cilla Black, English Television Personality

1300: David Jordan, British Singer

1400: Dr. Chris Steele, British Doctor

1500: Eamonn Holmes, Irish Television and Radio Presenter

1600: Alexander O’Neal, American Singer

1700: Shilpa Shetty, Indian Actress and Model

1800: Darius Danesh, British Singer and Songwriter

1900: Gordon Ramsay, British Chef and Restaurateur

2000: John Barrowman, Scottish-American Actor

2100: Tim Vincent, Welsh Actor and Television Presenter

2200: Alan Carr, English Comedian

2300: International Cast of Mama Mia

2400: Cuba Gooding Junior, American Actor

Wednesday 4 March

0100: Carole Vorderman, English Television Personality

0200: Boy George, English Singer and Songwriter

0300: Charles Worthington, English Celebrity Hairdresser

0400: Lee Majors, American Actor

0500: Jo Brand, English Comedian

0600: Sir David Attenborough, English Television Personality

0700: Kerry Katona, English Television Personality

0800: Craig David, English Singer and Songwriter

* Cost for uploading an item via MMS is 50p excluding standard network charges. Reserving an item using your mobile is £1 excluding standard network charges. No charge for text alerts unless an item becomes available. The alert then costs 25p per text excluding standard network charges.

About MySkip.com

Launched in April 2008 by two entrepreneurs, MySkip.com is the world’s most secure, easy-to-use and free website that promotes reuse of unwanted goods - a virtual skip where users can, for free, either rummage or dispose of useful items that might otherwise end-up in British landfills. Celebrities, politicians and business leaders have endorsed MySkip’s cause, including: The Dalai Lama; Rt. Hon David Cameron MP; Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr.; Sir David Attenborough; Grammy Award winner’s Sheryl Crow and Peter Gabriel; Gordon Ramsay; Bafta winner Ricky Gervais; Robert Senior, CEO Saatchi & Saatchi; The United Nations; The Rockefeller Institute; Bloomberg; Bang and Olufsen; Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy; The Chinese Government; Barclaycard; Specsavers, Superdrug; Lloyds TSB; and, J Sainsbury’s. For more information, please visit www.myskip.com.