When you shop or donate items to Goodwill you are greeted by staff in shirts that say "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" that share our message of environmental sustainability. The idea of being green has always been an underlying philosophy of our business and extends throughout our entire organization.
Did you know that Goodwill is one of the greenest organizations on the planet? You may not realize it, but when you donate or shop at Goodwill, you set in motion a whole series of earth-friendly activities. Every item you donate or purchase at a Goodwill store is one less item thrown away. It's instant recycling. Goodwill has been green since our founding over 100 years ago and we are proud of our commitment to preserving the environment.
Here's a few other important ways Goodwill helped sustain the health of our environment in 2020:
The global population is forecast to soar over 9.7 billion people by 2050, creating huge demand for the planet’s finite resources. So that’s why Goodwill’s mantra of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is more important than ever. When you are cleaning out your closet, remember that the items you chose to donate are not waste. Take those jeans, for example. Did you know that it takes almost 1800 gallons of water to produce one new pair of jeans? By donating your old pair, you are helping support Goodwill’s mission of training and jobs AND reducing the negative impact on our planet. Now, isn’t that AMAZING!?
As Goodwill continues to focus on sustainability, we are eliminating the use of plastic shopping bags in our retail stores beginning September 1, 2021. By eliminating the use of plastic bags, we are producing less trash and waste in our stores while building greener communities. Did you know that 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually? Plus, it takes 500+ years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately, they don’t break down completely, and instead become microplastics.
We invite you to bring in your own reusable shopping bags when shopping in our stores. Don’t have one? We will offer Goodwill reusable shopping bags made from recycled materials for only $.99. So, let’s all reduce, reuse, recycle and help create a more sustainable world for the generations to come.
Whether it's in-store or online, Goodwill offers convenient options for sustainable shopping.
Check out our latest blogs on how to keep sustainability going with thrifting tips and tricks. And for you diehard thrifters out there, check out our Goodwill Outlet where you’ll find bargains by the pound! It’s a whole new way to save money and keep our world green.