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San Francisco's virtual warehouse program reported to have redistributed more than 200,000 items
Summary
Department staff described the Virtual Warehouse reuse platform, its legal basis in Chapter 21.03 (Surplus Disposal Ordinance), the June 2023 launch of a Ribley/ReBlue platform, and program metrics: ~213,000 items redistributed, ~$12 million replacement cost avoided, and ~1,788 tons recovered.
Soko Monde, manager of the City Government Zero Waste team, and Annie Wong, virtual warehouse administrator, presented the city's Virtual Warehouse Program and a recent platform upgrade intended to streamline reuse of surplus city-owned items.
Monde described the program's legal foundation in the Surplus Disposal Ordinance (Chapter 21.03 of the Administration Code), which prioritizes reuse across city departments, auctioning high-value items, donation to nonprofits and schools, and recycling or disposal. She said the original physical warehouse closed in 2004, a virtual platform was established in 2005, and the program has gone through multiple iterations.
Wong described the current Ribley (ReBlue) platform launched as a pilot in June 2023, opened to external organizations in November 2023, and designed to reduce administrative burden by allowing owners to post items, upload photos, and use direct messaging for logistics. Program metrics presented: approximately 213,000 items redistributed or reused, an estimated $12,000,000 in replacement cost avoided, and roughly 1,788 tons recovered.
Staff described logistics rules: items in good condition must be posted for a minimum of 30 days, items cannot be taken for personal use, and the requesting party is responsible for pickup logistics. Commissioners asked about expansion beyond city government; staff said ordinance language allows working with public organizations and the program is exploring partnerships with counties and suppliers.
Next steps: staff plan further outreach, onboarding, tutorial resources, and efforts to ensure all departments use the platform and improve accessibility.
