Driving Change, Cleaning with Purpose: The Vancouver Co-ops Shaping a Better Tomorrow
Case Study: Modo
Their Story
In 1997, with just 2 cars, 16 members and an SFU thesis project, the first carsharing cooperative in North America was founded. Today, Modo provides convenient, reliable and affordable access to the most diverse fleet of shared vehicles across the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and Kelowna. Simply put, with Modo, you get all the benefits of having a car, without all the hassles of owning one (or two). (bcca.coop)
Did you know:
Most personal vehicles sit idle 95% of the time.
Owning personal vehicles can cost roughly $10,000 per year.
For every Modo in use, 9-13 private cars are removed from our streets.
Carsharing is shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 to 50%
Roughly a third of members have gotten rid of a car (or two) since joining Modo.
Nearly a quarter of members would have purchased or leased a car if it weren’t for Modo.
The average rate of car ownership in Vancouver is 1.6 cars per household, compared to Modo members at 0.36.
Their Values
Social Impact: Integrates social purpose through community initiatives, partnerships, and strategic fleet growth.
Affordability: Compares costs between owning a car and using Modo's services, aiming to provide a more cost-effective option by maintaining stable pricing.
Convenience: Focuses on increasing the accessibility of shared vehicles, ensuring members are within walking distance of Modo cars.
Inclusivity: Strives for diversity within its membership and workforce, emphasizing gender and racial diversity, along with pay equity.
Sustainability: Aims to reduce overall emissions, adding electric and hybrid vehicles towards a zero emissions fleet by 2030.
Their Problem
Modo’s fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles includes everything from coupes to cargo vans and compact EVs to hatchbacks. While a growing fleet benefited their members, Modo was finding it difficult to meet their need for comprehensive vehicle cleanliness and maintenance. Faced with the challenge of maintaining a pristine fleet across Vancouver, Modo turned to The Cleaning Co-op for their ethical and thorough cleaning services.
Our Solution
TCC provides cleaning service to Modo’s Headquarters in Burnaby, and cleaning for all of their 1,000+ vehicles located throughout Vancouver and surrounding areas.
Services:
Clean and sanitize the vehicle interior
Wash the vehicle exterior on location
Check tire pressures, headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and oil
Refill the windshield washer fluid
Report any new damages
“Working with The Cleaning Co-op has been an absolute pleasure. We entrust them with the cleaning of Modo’s fleet vehicles, and their dedication to quality and attention to detail is truly commendable. They are a highly reliable and professional cooperative that consistently delivers exceptional cleaning services. Their team is not only efficient but also a joy to work with. We are proud to partner with The Cleaning Co-op and highly recommend their services to anyone in need of top-notch cleaning solutions.”
This relationship is a two-way street.
While we solved their cleaning concerns, Modo solved our transportation problem by providing access to their fleet for our daily operations, removing the transportation barrier that we faced in order to grow. With affordable and reliable mobility, TCC was able to handle rapid growth and expansion. Working with Modo has also significantly boosted The Cleaning Co-op's confidence, business knowledge, and operational capabilities.
Our commitment to paying livable wages and removing barriers to women’s careers aligns beautifully with Modo’s goal of supplying their community with an affordable, convenient, inclusive and sustainable means of transportation.
““It has been a delight to get to know the team at The Cleaning Co-op (TCC). They have continued to impress us with their professional approach and reliable, high-quality work. Their value to Modo has been convincingly proven and we intend to increase their share of our vehicle cleaning needs. Like Modo, TCC is a co-operative defined and motivated by its social purpose. The more we have come to understand TCC’s social purpose, including their commitment to paying a Living Wage, the more enthusiastic we are to work with them.””
Want more of our origin story and the way Modo impacted our growth? Check out the guest post we wrote for Modo’s blog.
