Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest (based in Spokane, WA) recently collected an estimated 256,000 pounds of televisions, computers, monitors and other household electronics — more than they process in two months — in a single day, thanks to a partnership with its regional NBC affiliate.
Leading up to the donation drive, Goodwill and the station conducted a weeklong public service campaign to inform viewers about the event, what they can recycle and Goodwill’s recycling efforts – specifically its state-administered e-waste recycling program.
“In addition to the environmental benefits of the year-round e-waste program, this campaign put Goodwill® front and center as the leader in recycling and donating,” said the Goodwill’s President and CEO Clark Brekke. “Many donors expressed their delight that they could participate responsibly and conveniently and at no charge to them.”
The Goodwill’s e-waste efforts are part of a Washington state program where electronic manufacturers who sell products in the state pay fees that cover the cost of recycling. The state pays the Goodwill to sort, weigh and package goods for shipment to a state-run de-manufacturing facility.
On the collection event day, the Goodwill staffed four drop-off locations within the metropolitan Spokane area. One location alone collected six 28-foot trailers full of electronics. The Goodwill estimates that on the event day it collected the same amount of e-waste that it typically does over a two-month period. The four sites saw 1,895 donors – a 600 percent increase of the same-day total from the previous week.
Watch a montage of the KHQ coverage on YouTube.
