Go Green and Save Green with Goodwill This Earth Day

This Wednesday, people across the globe will be celebrating Earth Day by planting trees, picking up litter, and riding a bike to work instead of driving. But did you know that every time you shop at or donate to Goodwill you are doing a little bit to help save our Earth, too? Goodwill is an entrepreneurial leader, environmental pioneer, and social innovator of the “reduce, reuse, repurpose” practice. Just stopping into your local Goodwill on Earth Day will help you go green and save green at the same time. Let’s find out how Goodwill helps…

One of the biggest threats to our beautiful Earth is our trash output. Think about everything that you throw away and then consider the fact that there is no “away”. The trash that you kick to the curb every week goes into a landfill and can take decades or even centuries to break down, depositing chemicals into the soil as it does. Instead of trashing the gently used items you no longer want, donate them to Goodwill!

Image via facebook.com/GoodwillSouthernAZ

Most of your donations, like the clothing in the outfit above, will find a new home with someone else. For example, this look was pulled together from the racks at Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona (Tucson) for less than $14! I had so much fun poking through the photo album to see this and the other ensembles that were compiled for a Green Pathways sustainability event recently. The occasion was planned to raise awareness about sustainability and limiting waste! Way to go, Goodwill of Southern Arizona!

Image via facebook.com/goodwillwm

The donations that don’t sell in Goodwill stores (or that don’t work) are recycled! Want to know more about how Goodwill recycles? Check out this behind the scenes play by play that Stan from Goodwill Industries of West Michigan (Muskegon) shares from his trip to Valley City Electronic Recycling in Grand Rapids. This is one of the recycling facilities that Goodwill works with to take electronics that are no longer functioning and break them down to be made new again. What a wonderful way to help save the Earth!

Image via classyclutter.net

Blogger Charlotte did her part, too, by purchasing these second-hand glass apothecary jars from her local Goodwill and turning them into the shabby chic floral centerpiece pictured above. If you want to go green and save green like Charlotte did, check out the DIY tutorial she shared on her blog Classy Clutter. I’ve actually bought very similar jars from a Goodwill in Portland, Maine and they’re working as spice jars in my cabinet. I may need to repurpose them to create this masterpiece, though!

Thank you for celebrating Earth Day every day that you support Goodwill. If we’re going to make a difference, we all have to do our part. From donating, to shopping, and repurposing your finds, saving the world has never been so fun!