Through innovative, patent-pending technology, we create affordable, ADA-compliant accessibility ramps from recycled materials. Every ramp diverts 200 pounds of plastic waste from landfills while serving underserved communities.
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We partner with public and private organizations to develop affordable and environmentally sustainable solutions to improve the lives of low-income individuals and families. Our research-backed design principles and cutting-edge engineering create durable, ADA-compliant pathways from recycled materials.
Our dedicated engineering student team working on innovative solutions
Our revolutionary Eco-Entry Ramp represents a breakthrough in accessibility engineering. Modular design transforms recycled plastic bottles into durable, ADA-compliant ramp components.
Learn More →Every Eco-Entry Ramp diverts 200 pounds of plastic waste from landfills, directly addressing America's recycling crisis while creating meaningful accessibility solutions.
Learn More →We partner with local organizations, advocacy groups, and public agencies to ensure accessibility solutions reach those who need them most, regardless of economic circumstances.
Learn More →Three years ago, I stood on the edge of my front steps in Connecticut, staring at the three metal stairs that had never felt so tall. A recent diagnosis had begun chipping away at my mobility—first a cane, sometimes a walker, and now this: a creeping dread that someday soon, I might not be able to leave my own home.
So, I started making calls. To aging agencies: "What programs exist for ramps?" To churches: "Do you have volunteers who build them?" To social services: "Is there funding?" The answers all blurred together: "It's not easy." "Waitlists are long." "Have you tried a GoFundMe?" One coordinator sighed and said, "Honestly, Mr. Wiggin, most folks just… give up and move." I had already moved when I lost my wife. I wasn't going to move again.
That's when it hit me: If it's sound fiscal and moral policy to keep seniors in their homes, why is there no solid plan to let us enter and leave them safely?
I've never been one to sit still. So, I started digging. I learned that 25 million Americans face mobility challenges, yet 80% of low-income households can't afford ramps. I read about plastic waste—how the U.S. recycles just 5% of its 42 million tons of annual plastic trash. And then, one gray afternoon, I met Dr. Edith Barrett.
Edith, a professor emeritus of public policy at UConn, had spent her career studying systemic failures. Over coffee and iced tea, I vented: "Why are we letting people become prisoners in their homes while landfills overflow with materials that could help them?" She leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Bill," she said, "what if we stopped asking 'why' and started building 'how'?"
That conversation became the Earth Friendly Project.
Today, we're in the messy, hopeful throes of prototyping. Our Eco-Entry Ramp isn't finished—it's a work in progress, a skeleton of what could be. But here's the vision: modular units made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, designed to be affordable, ADA-compliant, and assembly-friendly. No contractors' hefty price tags. Just sturdy, modular-assembly pieces, diverting 200 pounds of plastic waste per ramp from landfills.
Right now, our prototype is being stress-tested by UConn engineers. I've watched students take melted-down milk jugs and soda bottles, molding them into slabs that'll hold weight, weather storms, and outlast traditional materials. Every time I look at those prototype ramp sections I see my own front steps. I see the millions of people like me, clinging to independence.
This project is a rebellion. Against a world where recycling feels futile. Against systems that tell seniors, veterans, and disabled folks to wait or settle. Against the lie that "sustainability" is a luxury.
We're not there yet. We're still tweaking molds, chasing grants, and pitching towns on the idea that plastic waste isn't garbage; it's raw material for dignity. But here's what keeps me going: Connecticut's 2040 Zero Waste mandate. The spark in a lawmaker's eye when we explain how ramps could align with federal infrastructure grants. The UConn students who've turned this into their capstone project, scribbling equations on whiteboards like it's a moon launch.
(He's the old guy on the right—with this years' Engineering Student Team)
20+ years launching ventures at the intersection of policy/sustainability
Advisor to both state and federal administrations on equity initiatives
Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Connecticut.
Experience in social policy development, research design and analysis, and knowledge of the economic and social barriers faced by low-income individuals.
Associate Professor of Industrial Design and co-director., Krenicki Arts and Engineering Institute, University of Connecticut
Experience in the areas of creative problem-solving, concept development, and integrating design principles into engineering and business
Your input is crucial in helping us understand the accessibility challenges in our communities. Take our brief survey to help us better serve those in need.
Take Our SurveyWe extend our heartfelt gratitude to Nicholas Tatro for his invaluable assistance in creating our community needs assessment survey. Nicholas, a Master of Public Policy graduate from the University of Connecticut, has been instrumental in developing the research methodology that helps us understand and quantify the accessibility needs in our communities.
His expertise in survey design, quantitative research methods, and public policy analysis has been essential to our mission of serving underserved populations effectively.
Ready to learn more about our accessibility solutions or partner with us? We'd love to hear from you.