Goodwill Operations in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Delaware form Collaborative Aimed At Recycling Items Donated and Unsellable
As Earth Day approaches, awareness about recycling and sustainability is a message that is front and center. Despite that, glass, hard plastics, and textiles remain challenging materials to recycle effectively in the United States. Various factors contribute to this difficulty, including logistical issues, economic constraints, and the lack of infrastructure tailored to recycling these materials.
Lisa Rusyniak, CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, does not see this as a challenge, but rather, an opportunity. She, along with her fellow CEOs from Goodwill of Greater Washington, and Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County are joining forces to launch operations in their respective territories to recycle glass, hard plastic, and textile items that are donated but can’t be sold.
This innovative sustainability initiative is aimed at making the most use of donated items that don’t sell in their stores, upskilling their retail workforce, and increasing their capacity to deliver on their non-profit mission. They see this effort as one set to revolutionize recycling and reuse by investing in cutting-edge technology to convert textiles, glass, and plastic into raw materials that can be upcycled into new goods. It was conceived during discussions by the three on leveraging the collective reach and resources of their organizations to make a tangible impact on the environment while fostering economic growth.
“As we brainstormed ways to contribute to a more sustainable future, we realized that by combining our efforts, we could tackle an issue that affects us all: what we do with unsold items and the opportunity to both lower our trash bills and create new revenue streams to fund our mission delivery,” said Rusyniak. “It’s a win-win-win situation for our team members, our communities and our mission.”
With a focus on people, planet, and prosperity, the three Goodwill organizations are hoping to leverage intellectual capital and physical resources to convert used textiles into raw materials and new fabrics, shred plastic, and implode glass (separately) into raw materials that can be sold to existing domestic markets. For example, glass can be imploded into sand and cullet for use in construction and manufacturing projects, while shredded plastic can be used to manufacture an array of items from park benches to plastic pallets for warehousing. The program is slated to launch in May and June of this year.
Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. prepares people to secure and retain employment and build successful independent lives. Goodwill annually provides services to more than 4,000 people in need of assistance because of physical, mental or other social barriers and places approximately 1,000 into jobs giving them “Not a charity, but a chance.”
For more information about this sustainability collaborative please visit Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake goodwillches.org; Goodwill of Greater Washington dcgoodwill.org, or Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County www.GoodwillDE.org
