JOIN US FOR THE TAG YOUR BAG CHALLENGE!

IT’S SO EASY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Thank you for tagging your bag!

We’re sorting and weighing all those donated textiles and will be announcing our grand total shortly!

TEXTILE POLLUTION IS PILING UP

Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘Why do my clothes wear out so quickly?’ If so, you have probably been a victim of “fast fashion.”

Fast fashion is characterized by inexpensive trendy clothes, cheap synthetic fabrics, and disposable clothing designed to last a season, not a lifetime.

But what does that mean for our environment and our landfill? In this video, you’ll learn more about the long-term effects of this fleeting trend.

collecting 100,000 pounds of textiles

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an estimated 11.3 Million tons of textile waste is discarded in the United States each year. Unfortunately, those textiles can take up to 200 years to decompose in a landfill and as they break down, they emit toxic methane, a greenhouse gas. In fact, the EPA reports textiles are one of the fastest growing categories in the waste stream.

But, there’s a better way! Here at Goodwill of Central Iowa, we take our responsibility to maximize the impact of each donation made by our community seriously. Therefore, we strive to ensure each item we receive is re-sold, reused, or recycled.

This April, we are telling our community, “Don’t send it to the landfill! Bring it to Goodwill!” If you have ever felt guilty for throwing away tattered towels, old bedding, stained shirts, or ripped jeans – We’re here to help! By collaborating with our community in our first-ever Tag Your Bag Textile Collection & Recycling Challenge, we’re aiming to collect 100,000 pounds of worn-out textiles for recycling this April! Can we count on you to accept the challenge?

Let’s get it sorted out!

WHAT HAPPENS TO A DONATION MADE TO GOODWILL?

Woman smiling while donating clothing to Goodwill with the help of a male Goodwill employee.

ITEMS ARE DONATED

Step 1: Items are donated to our Goodwill of Central Iowa Donation Drop-off locations.

available in stores

Step 2: We sell those donations in our stores or send them to our e-commerce site, ShopGoodwill.

Customers sorting through items placed in large blue plastic bins at the Goodwill Outlet.

OFF TO OUTLET

Step 3: Items that aren’t sold in our retail stores are sent to the Outlet location, where they are sold by the pound.

RECYCLED & SALVAGED

Step 4: The items that don’t get purchased at our Outlet location are sent back to our warehouse to get sorted for recycling and salvage.

LEARN more about goodwill’s earth-friendly initiatives

At Goodwill of Central Iowa, we strive to maximize the impact each and every donation has on our mission. Through reselling, recycling, and salvaging, we are supporting programs that make purposeful employment possible for all members of our community.

At Goodwill of Central Iowa, we are driven by a mission that empowers everyone to reach their full potential. By supporting us, you, too, become a part of this empowering journey.

In the era of rapid technological advancement, our society faces a pressing challenge: electronic waste, or e-waste, is piling up at an alarming rate. However, amidst this concern, Goodwill of Central Iowa is leading the charge to turn this problem into an opportunity through innovative recycling initiatives.

ALready donateD?

Digital Donation Receipt

Goodwill of Central Iowa is dedicated to helping make donating easy and convenient for all members of our community. That’s why we now offer a Digital Donation Receipt!

Simply click the button below to fill out your receipt. A copy will be emailed to you for your records. Don’t forget to give your donation receipts to your accountant or tax prep specialist at the end of the year, as all donations made to Goodwill of Central Iowa are tax deductible!

Our tax ID number is 42-0764469.