This Earth Day, Practice A Sustainable Lifestyle At Goodwill®

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Earth Day is the perfect time to reflect on how to positively impact the environment and create a healthier planet. One way to do this is by donating to and shopping at a local Goodwill store. Goodwill, the country's leading workforce development nonprofit, is once again lending a hand toward the world's largest environmental movement, Earth Day.

According to a recent Forbes article, fast fashion, while convenient, is harmful to our environment and our planet. The rapid mass production that most retailers undergo creates a surplus of inventory, much of which ends up in landfills. Nearly 13 million tons of clothing is sent to U.S. landfills every year. That is enough to fill an entire football stadium 14 feet deep. While sitting in landfills, clothing leaks toxic chemicals and dyes that contaminate soil and groundwater.

By donating and shopping second-hand at Goodwill, consumers can take a stand against fast fashion and practice a sustainable lifestyle that helps the environment. Shopping at Goodwill gives items a second life and gives people a second chance by providing skills and job training as well as placement opportunities for those facing challenges to finding employment. In addition to clothing, consumers can shop at Goodwill for items such as furniture, electronics, home décor and more. Reuse keeps items out of landfills and helps slow production. Last year alone, local Goodwill organizations collectively diverted nearly four billion pounds of unused goods from landfills.

On Earth Day, Goodwill will collaborate with sustainable fashion influencer Rachel Cole to spread awareness about how shopping at Goodwill fosters a sustainable lifestyle. The nonprofit also collaborated with Buzzfeed producer and home décor influencer, Ashley McGetrick, during Earth Week. She provided a step-by-step visual guide to transform a vintage record player into a jewelry box, encouraging reusing and recycling through secondhand shopping at Goodwill.

In addition to benefiting the environment, supporting Goodwill also helps people in local communities. Eighty-seven cents of every dollar spent at a local Goodwill store goes toward creating employment opportunities in local communities as well as support services, such as child care, financial education and transportation. Supporting Goodwill this Earth Day is the ultimate social good act.

"Goodwill was founded on sustainability principles, and, for 117 years, we have remained committed to fostering environmental and social responsibility," said Steven C. Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "We encourage you to celebrate Earth Day by supporting your local Goodwill store. Your donations and purchases help our environment and the planet by reducing waste."

To learn more about Goodwill Earth Day programs and/or initiatives in your community, visit www.goodwill.org/locator to find your local Goodwill organization's website for more information.

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 160 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. GII is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is recognized by GuideStar with its Platinum Seal of Approval, the organization's highest rating for charities. For the past three years, Goodwill was ranked in the top five brands that inspired consumers the most with its mission in the World Value Index, commissioned by the creative agency, enso. Goodwill has been on Forbes' list of top 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years, the only nonprofit featured on that list.

Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that offer job placement and training services, and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,300 stores collectively and online at shopgoodwill.com^®.

Goodwill helps people facing challenges to finding employment, including people with disabilities, veterans and military families, youth and young adults, older workers, people reintegrating into society, and others working to advance their careers. Local Goodwill organizations build revenues and expand employment opportunities by contracting with commercial, state, government and non-government organizations to provide a wide range of business services, including janitorial and grounds maintenance, flexible staffing, food service, manufacturing and contracts packaging, reverse logistics, document imaging and shredding, and laundry services.

Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed more than 288,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 36 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills, and more than two million people received in-person services.

Goodwill is both an icon and accessible neighbor: more than 82 percent of the U.S. population resides within 10 miles of a Goodwill location.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: GoodwillIntl.

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SOURCE Goodwill Industries International