Sustainability Efforts

On Wednesday, May 22nd, Goodwill of Greater Washington (GGW), a local nonprofit organization, held a ribbon cutting celebration for its new glass pulverizer.

The new machine is projected to keep more than 500,000 pounds of glass out of local landfills each year. That recycled material can then be reused in construction, landscaping, or other projects that require sand or gravel. The purchase of the pulverizer was made possible through a generous gift from the Truist Charitable Fund.

GGW already recycles plastic bags through a partnership with Trex, converting the plastic material into composite decking and fencing.  Goodwill recycles books in partnership with ThriftBooks and cardboard in partnership with Georgetown Paper Stock. More than 3.5 million pounds of books are resold or recycled each year, and more than 50,000 pounds of cardboard are crushed and recycled annually.  GGW has been recycling computers in partnership with Dell since 2008.  More than 5.2 million pounds of computers and computer equipment have been recycled since the program began.

GGW also recently converted from plastic shopping bags to reusable shopping bags in all of its 22 area retail stores in May.

In addition to the impact on the planet, these recycling efforts also create jobs with 15 new Goodwill team members added who devote their time entirely to GGW’s sustainability efforts.

These are just a few of the ways GGW is becoming a more sustainable organization focused on people, planet, and prosperity.  The organization’s goal is to ensure that every donation made to it is either sold or put to good use in another way that benefits our community and our environment.

Goodwill of Greater Washington and Dell Reconnect, offer consumers free recycling for any brand of computer and computer equipment.