Goodwill is Green

For 75 years, Goodwill Industries of Northern New England has been committed to providing programs and services that assist people with disabilities and other barriers achieve independence. To maintain and improve the success of our human services programs, Goodwill is also committed to improving the sustainability of our operations, energy efficiency, fuel conservation and other initiatives to reduce and eliminate harmful impacts on the environment. We are also committed to ensuring the health and safety of our clients and employees. We are currently working with Goodwill Industries International, our partner organization, on creating a Green Toolkit and Going Green Initiatives.

Accomplishments to Date:

Reuse and Recycling
Our commitment to waste reduction, reuse, and recycling has been part of our mission for 75 years. Our 25 retail stores give a second life to goods and our post-retail recycling and salvage operations use non-saleable goods to produce Good Wipes, industrial wiping cloths. Nearly 100% of our donations are reused or recycled through retail sales or salvage operations.

In 2007, Goodwill recycled the following:

• Paper/cardboard: 128,000 pounds
• Metal: 290,000 pounds
• Glass/ Ceramics: 196,000 pounds
• Textiles sold as Salvage: 9,676,525* pounds
  *295,000 pounds of this salvage was made into Good Wipes
• Universal Waste (Bulbs, CRT's): 104,000 pounds

In 2007, Goodwill received 28,231,000 pounds of donations! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are keeping unnecessary waste out of landfills and funding our human services programs.

Cloth Bags
Looking for a stylish way to reduce plastic bag waste while expressing your support for Goodwill? Reusable cloth bags are now available in all 25 Goodwill retail store locations. Made out of recycled bottles, these bags are available for purchase at the great price of $0.98!

In response to customer requests to reduce our use of plastic bags and in an effort to encourage our shoppers to bring in their own bags, Goodwill is proud to sell reusable bags at an affordable price. When you stop and think about the costs plastic bags have on our environment, spending less than $1 on a cloth bag is a smart investment.

According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. Where do all these bags end up? Most find refuge in the landfill, whole others litter our neighborhoods and beach shores. What is more alarming, however, is that plastic bags do not decompose—they go through a process called "photodegration." This means bags break down into smaller and smaller pieces, which end up in our soils and waterways, adding toxins to the environment and endangering wildlife.

The production of plastic bags is also tied in to our demand for oil—bags are made out of ethylene, which is a petroleum byproduct. According to one source, "In the United States alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make plastic bags that Americans consume" (alternet.org). It is good practice to use reusable bags anywhere you shop—your local grocery store, the farmer's market, even the mall. The fewer bags we ask from retailers, the less they order—and for an organization like Goodwill, those extra cost savings help us invest dollars in people, not plastic.

Central Distribution
Goodwill centrally purchases all materials necessary for our retail stores, offices, and programs in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Supplies are shipped to one location and distributed with our trucks on their normal routes. Central distribution saves costs, fuel, and reduces carbon emissions.

Buying in Bulk
In addition to Central Distribution, Goodwill purchases items such as cleaning supplies, office equipment, and other materials in bulk. Buying in bulk reduces costs and wasteful packaging and greatly decreases the number of deliveries, saving fuel and energy costs.

Chemical-free Cleaners
All cleaning materials Goodwill uses in our stores, offices, and residences are free of harmful chemicals. Chemical-free cleaners reduce health hazards to our clients, employees, and the environment.

CFC Light Bulbs
All Goodwill offices and work spaces currently have CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) for overhead lighting. CFL's have a higher lumen per watt than standard incandescent bulbs, which means on average CFL's last ten times longer and use 75% less energy. Goodwill employees also have the option of converting desk and floor lamps to CFL's. These bulbs not only save energy, but help maintain proper light levels, reducing headaches and work fatigue.

Carpooling
One of the objectives of Goodwill's Strategic Plan for 2008-2013 is to reduce fuel and transportation costs. In June 2008, Michael Coughlin, Executive Director, announced the "Mileage Challenge." The Challenge consists of two parts: compensation for miles traveled will increase per mile and employees who carpool to work, meetings, and other Goodwill functions will be compensated. The goal of the Challenge is to reimburse employees for miles traveled, while at the same time reducing the total number of miles used as an agency.

Buying Local
When shoppers donate or purchase items at our retail store locations, they are keeping money in the local economy. Money spent at national chain stores and non-local enterprises is often funneled to corporations that exist elsewhere. According to a study conducted in 2003, "for every $100 spent at a chain, $13 remained in the community while $45 remained when spent with home town businesses." ¹

Goodwill plays a positive role in the local economy because we create new jobs, offer consumers more shopping choices, and help reduce impact on the environment by reducing transportation costs and giving a second life to goods. Supporting Goodwill helps customers achieve a sustainable balance between community, economy, and the environment. Goodwill is a member of Portland Buy Local.