As an frequent visitor of our local thrift stores, I found this very interesting.
Goodwill Helps You Give Back in More Ways Than One
Ask anyone on the street what kind of items Goodwill accepts, and you’re likely to hear many of the same answers. Clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, appliances, and home decor are all popular items at one of the nation’s largest donation centers. What most people don’t know, however, is that the list goes on. Recyclable materials, like paper, styrofoam, and aluminum are also accepted at Goodwill donation centers, and they, too, can help support charitable works.
Bob Carman, the director of recycling and logistics for the Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma told NewsOK, “We’ll take anything that’s donated at any of our donation centers, except for small engine items, due to the hazardous nature of the oil and gas… The purpose here is to keep these items out of the landfill and make a little money so we can promote the mission services.”
As it turns out, the retail sales floor is only one outpost for Goodwill donations. Items that aren’t sold in 30 days are reprocessed and sent back to the warehouse, where they’re processed for bulk sale to vendors across the country. It only seems natural that recyclables would be eligible for that process. As NewsOK points out, “Everything that can’t be sold can be reused by someone.”
Certain stores are designated as last-chance destinations. These outlet stores allow customers to purchase items by the pound, and those that aren’t sold within three hours are processed for bulk resale. That re-processing is more beneficial to the organization than you may think. “We recycled over 10.4 million pounds last year by bulk resales to vendors,” said Sarah Steffes, director of development and corporate compliance for Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma. Such amounts hardly come as a surprise, especially considering the astonishing fact that the average American disposes of about 68 pounds of clothing in a year.
So where do all the proceeds from this mass recycling effort go? Goodwill uses the funds to enhance the quality of life for people who are disadvantaged or disabled, by providing them with work. The opportunity to keep used items out of landfills while supporting a charitable organization is one that should certainly be taken advantage of, as we look for ways to support our communities and give back to the Earth. We’re lucky to have agencies like Goodwill to give us a helping hand.