Target: Steven C. Preston, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries
Goal: End alleged practice of textile donation disposal.
According to at least one former employee, donations made to nonprofit Goodwill could end up in the trash bin instead of in the homes of needy people. The employee made a post to social media claiming that unsold clothes – as well as linens and blankets – are routinely thrown away and destined for landfills. The employee even alleged that a colleague was scolded for giving a donated blanket to one of the area homeless.
If these allegations are true, they are troubling on a number of levels. For one, donations that people make in good faith are not being sent to shelters or other charities where they could be of meaningful use. Instead, they are being discarded and creating a big environmental problem in the process. Textile waste in America routinely surpasses one million tons every year. When these items break down in the landfill, they release a massive amount of the pollutant methane.
Goodwill has not responded to these allegations. Sign the petition below to demand this organization that touts itself as a thrift retailer do much more to prevent needless and potentially harmful waste.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Preston,
The allegations brought by a former Goodwill employee regarding the disposal of reusable clothes, linens, and blankets should not be met with silence. Instead, use this moment to clarify and cement Goodwill’s commitment to disrupting the textile waste cycle that accounts for over one million tons of environmentally damaging waste annually in America. While landfill disposal methods may not be a company-wide practice, the lack of a clear policy from the top enables local establishments to engage in these wasteful practices.
Please create and implement strong guidelines directing unsellable items from the donation bin move to community charities rather than to the wastebin. This maneuver will help ensure that struggling individuals and families receive the resources they need, that this organization remains eco-friendly, and that donors’ good will is not in vain.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Albert Herring
