Circularity in Action: Reflections from New York Climate Week

By Jacob Wills, Government Affairs Manager, Goodwill Industries International

New York Climate Week offered an opportunity to engage with policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability advocates on some of the most important challenges facing the circular economy. For Goodwill^®, these conversations were particularly meaningful because creating value through reuse has been at the core of our mission for nearly 125 years. From local Goodwill organization representation on a panel discussing supply chains, to Goodwill Industries International’s President and CEO delivering a keynote at Sustainability LIVE, and the networking, and media interviews in between – Goodwill demonstrated how circular business models can create environmental, economic, and social value at scale.

As the largest secondhand retailer in North America, Goodwill plays a unique role within the circular economy. Through a network of approximately 4,500 stores and staffed donation sites, we collect billions of pounds of donated goods each year, keeping valuable materials out of landfills while generating critical funding for workforce development programs and community services. Over decades of experience, we have learned that successful circularity solutions must be practical, scalable, and capable of delivering both environmental and community benefits.

One of the highlights of the week was participating in the Textile Circularity Legislator Education Day, where policymakers and stakeholders discussed the future of textile circularity and extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy. The agenda underscored a key concept that Goodwill has long championed: reuse should come first, with recycling serving as an essential solution for materials that can no longer be reused. The event brought together experts from across the textile value chain to discuss recycling technologies, infrastructure needs, and lessons policymakers should consider as they explore the development of extended producer responsibility programs.

As policymakers continue exploring textile EPR programs and other circular economy policies, we encourage them to consider four key principles. First, circularity policies should build upon existing infrastructure. Nonprofit organizations like Goodwill already operate extensive collection, sortation, and resale networks that can help achieve policy goals more efficiently and cost effectively than creating entirely new systems. Second, policymakers should learn from proven models. Reuse nonprofits are already delivering circular outcomes every day, and public policy should recognize and leverage that expertise. Third, circularity policies should prioritize reuse before recycling. Extending a product’s useful life remains the most effective way to maximize environmental and economic value, while recycling provides an important pathway for materials that can no longer be reused. Finally, investments can help expand domestic circularity solutions and support new recycling technologies. To maximize impact and build on existing infrastructure, nonprofits must be eligible for grants, loans, and other funding opportunities that support material collection, recovery, and reuse.

The conversations throughout Climate Week reinforced a simple but powerful idea: circularity is not just about managing waste. It is about creating systems that maximize value, reduce environmental impacts, and strengthen communities. For Goodwill, advancing circularity means leveraging nearly 125 years of experience in reuse, investing in innovative partnerships, and ensuring that every item entrusted to us has the opportunity to achieve its highest and best use.