Summary

Redyoos is a Seattle-based jewellery recycling company operating as an “urban mine.” Customers order a free prepaid mail kit from the Redyoos website, fill it with any unwanted jewellery — fine or costume, broken or intact, any condition — and send it in. Once received, pieces are sorted: fashion jewellery is donated to social partners like Dress for Success, broken items go to schools and local art programmes, and pieces containing precious metals are weighed, tested and recovered for use in clean energy technology, electronics, and automotive manufacturing. The process is entirely free for the consumer. In its first year, Redyoos collected 3,000 pounds of jewellery and kept 95% of it out of landfill. The company has also established drop-off partnerships with local businesses including Goodwill Evergreen and Armoire. In 2025, Redyoos was nominated for the Earthshot Prize and founder Cleo Escarez took the TEDxSeattle stage to make the case for jewellery recycling as a serious climate solution.

Story

Redyoos was founded in 2025 by Cleo Escarez, a veteran of the fashion and consumer goods industry. After years of working in accessories, Escarez grew increasingly uncomfortable with the waste the industry generated. The numbers behind jewellery sharpened her resolve: 40% of the global supply of precious metals — silver and gold — is used by the jewellery industry, yet those same metals are critical components in solar panels, electronics, and medical devices. Mining 20 grams of silver alone requires moving 3 tons of dirt, while recycled metal uses 99% less carbon emissions than virgin mining. As a mother of three, Escarez wanted her professional life to align with her personal values — and Redyoos became the answer. She also serves on the board of the Refugee Arts Initiative, a Seattle organisation that repurposes donated textiles to train and employ refugee women, sharing the same philosophy as Redyoos: that materials, and people, deserve second chances.

Pic credit: Redyoos