Your donations help someone find a job,
strengthen our communities and preserve our planet.
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas is saying goodbye
to single-use plastic bags! 👋
This groundbreaking initiative underscores Goodwill's longstanding commitment to the sustainability, safety, and beauty of our planet. By eliminating single-use plastic bags, which often end up in landfills or as litter, Goodwill aims to significantly reduce waste, prevent litter, beautify communities, and safeguard wildlife.
"We're thrilled to take this crucial step towards a greener future not only in Arkansas but for our planet," said GIA President and CEO Brian Marsh. "Our customers have always been at the heart of our mission, and now they'll play an even more vital role in our sustainability efforts. By bringing reusable bags, they become true partners in our journey to protect the environment."
To support this transition, Goodwill will offer branded reusable bags for purchase at checkout for a nominal fee. These durable bags not only serve as eco-friendly alternatives but also as a symbol of customers' commitment to environmental stewardship.
Goodwill encourages customers to start bringing their own reusable bags before the September 3 implementation date. This proactive approach will help smooth the transition and maximize the initiative's environmental benefits from day one.
Click here to listen to our President and CEO Brian Marsh on KAUF talk our initiative to eliminate single-use plastic bags in retail stores across Arkansas.
38,278,596
Pounds of Product
Kept Out of Landfills
9,686,559
Pounds of Textiles
Recycled
1,720,540
Pounds of Books
Recycled
Goodwill and Regional Recycling Partnership
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas and the Regional Recycling & Waste Reduction District will partner to give secondhand clothes the opportunity to provide second chances to Arkansans facing barriers of employment.
This promotional partnership will encourage people to donate and not discard clothing. Clothes should be donated to Goodwill where they will do the most good.
Clothing and items such as plastic bags, wire, rope, cords, and garden hoses are called "tanglers." These items should never be put in a curbside recycling cart because they wrap around the sorting machinery, tangling it up, and shutting it down.
MODELO DE RECICLAJE DE GOODWILL PARA LA SOSTENIBILIDAD
Paso 1 | Recuperación
Promovemos activamente la donación como una forma de reciclaje, brindando a los habitantes de Arkansas una opción de reciclaje fácil y respetuosa con el medio ambiente en lugar de tirar en vertederos sus artículos no deseados. En el último año, hemos ampliado nuestro proceso de recuperación para incluir opciones de recogida en el hogar, lo que brinda servicio de reciclaje a grupos que podrían no tener acceso a transporte.
Paso 2 | Reutilizar
La reventa de artículos donados da una segunda vida a los artículos no deseados. Estos artículos asequibles benefician directamente a las comunidades locales y al medio ambiente al reducir el consumo de materiales. Este paso ha sido un componente clave de nuestra misión.
Paso 3 | Reciclar
Cuando la reutilización ya no es una opción, reciclamos. Continuamente estamos explorando formas de expandir aún más nuestras opciones de reciclaje para incluir nuevas categorías que no se procesaron previamente.
Paso 4 | Reinvertir
Los ingresos generados a través de nuestro programa de reutilización y reciclaje se reinvierten directamente en las comunidades locales que se asocian con nosotros. Este cuarto paso agregado nos distingue de lo que otros en nuestra industria están haciendo en el reciclaje. Hemos ampliado nuestro paso de reinversión en los últimos 2 años con el objetivo de lograr un mayor impacto en las comunidades de Arkansas.
Pounds of Shoes Recycled
715,419
Pounds of Metal Recycled
494,280
Pounds of Cardboard Recycled
268,794
Recycled and Sustainability
Goodwill’s founder Reverend Edgar J. Helms once said, “Goodwill saves the waste in men and things.”
Most people aren’t aware of the fact that Goodwill was founded on sustainability principles. Starting in the late 1890s, Reverend Helms began finding salvageable materials to provide to individuals and families in need. In 1902, when Goodwill Industries was officially born, the focus was still on salvaging materials, but Reverend Helms learned that those he was serving wanted their own sustainable means of making a living.
He began repairing and then reselling the goods collected. In turn, this meant less waste in landfills as well as taking care of
the community, creating jobs, and generating profits redirected to the mission.
In FY23, GIA deepened its community recycling involvement by participating in Little Rock Recycle Days and with the City
of Fayetteville. Goodwill offers our partners E-waste recycling options and is becoming a thought leader in the materials
stewardship realm.
