As 2023 draws to a close, I am eager to share an update on the progress of our innovative plastic bag and packaging film recycling project.
First, thanks so much to everyone who has so generously given their efforts, time and money to support this project and help move it forward. As we proceed through this holiday season, as much as we may try, it is hard to avoid accumulating mountains of plastic packaging film, punctuating with an exclamation point what this project is about in the first place; creating circularity for this ever-increasing hard-to-recycle type of plastic.
2023 was a watershed year for Obaggo. After several years of design, development, and fundraising, we successfully manufactured the world's first household plastic film densification appliance, shipped to all of our (very patient) crowdfunding supporters, and have established a supply chain to make Obaggo generally available to new customers. With a very small budget, we beat the odds; only a fraction of crowdfunded projects successfully achieve their objectives. We ended 2023 on a high note, having shipped over 700 devices to customers all over the country.
However, we did not meet all of our objectives for the year. One of our goals was to develop an Obaggo phone app, to provide a convenient way of finding the closest drop-off locations for Obaggo disks. This is still in development, and we expect to deliver this functionality in Q1 2024 as a mobile-enabled web application. The drop-off directory will be accessible from our new website, on a phone or other device.
We also hoped to end the year with a pilot-test program in place. Pilot testing is an important mechanism for testing new solutions to vexing problems, and very little change happens in the recycling world without first completing a successful pilot. For Obaggo, a pilot test will involve collecting the disks that all of you are making, and evaluating many things about them, such as how dense they are (and how many can fit on a truck?), how do they sort at various types of material recovery facilities (MRFs), can they be baled into cubes for transportation?, what levels of contamination do they contain? (i.e., non-recyclable materials), and what are the best end-markets for the material? To conduct a successful pilot test, we need industry partners to participate and help fund the work to be performed. These discussions are in process, and I hope to provide positive news in Q1 of 2024. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to recycle their Obaggo disks using the retail store drop-off program, if you can't store them until the pilot happens.
We have clear goals for 2024. This coming year, Obaggo will deliver a Drop-Off Directory to help you find the closest location to take your disks. We will also provide added convenience by expanding the number of drop-off locations beyond the retail-store system. We will continue to work hard to organize and launch a pilot test program, most likely centered in eastern Massachusetts, and hopefully including more remote Obaggo recyclers. We will demonstrate the re-processing of Obaggo disks into new products. We will continue to develop and improve the Obaggo device itself, to lower cost, improve quality, and add features. And lastly, we promise to provide you with more regular updates about our progress, what types of plastic film you can and can't recycle (and why), and about important happenings in plastic film recycling.
As we bid farewell to 2023, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your support and dedication to our mission at Obaggo. Your commitment has been the driving force behind our significant achievements this year. Looking ahead to 2024, we are excited about the opportunities and advancements on the horizon. Your support has been invaluable in our journey so far, and we look forward to your continued partnership as we embark on this next phase. Together, we are leading a movement towards a more sustainable and responsible future for thin-film plastic packaging. Let's step into 2024 with renewed energy and determination, ready to make an even greater impact in the world of plastic recycling. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Happy New Year and here's to a successful 2024!