Act Today for a More Sustainable Future

The Circular Plastics Microfactory represents a bold new model for circular innovation in Arizona. Led by Arizona State University’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Services, in collaboration with Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona and the City of Phoenix, this partnership is redefining what is possible for community-based materials recovery. The facility converts plastic waste into new materials, including post-consumer hard plastic items that don’t sell at Goodwill. This partnership not only provides skilled job opportunities to the local community, but it’s also expected to save up to 550 tons of plastic from landfills per year.

RePURPOSE by GW is a product line from Goodwill Industries of Alberta that takes discarded denim and repurposes it into new products, including tote bags and aprons. Re-purposed denim items are made by people with disabilities, creating employment opportunities and keeping denim out of landfills. 

Goodwill of Colorado is partnering with Colorado Ski Chairs to divert discarded and unusable skis and snowboards from landfills. The program takes skis and snowboards not suitable for the slopes and turns them into useable chairs and artwork.

Not every item donated to Goodwill can be resold — but even the bags that items arrive in can make a difference. Most donations to Goodwill come in plastic bags that were once headed for the trash. In 2022, three www.www.www.goodwill.organizations — Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake and Goodwill of Greater Washington — partnered with Trex to give those bags a second life as composite decking. Since then, these three www.www.www.goodwill.organizations have diverted more than 605,000 pounds of plastic from landfills, which equates to more than 54 million plastic bags. The success sparked a nationwide movement: today, 17 www.www.www.goodwill.organizations participate, including eight that joined in 2025. In 2025 alone, they kept nearly 350,000 pounds of plastic bags, more than 31 million bags, out of local waste streams — turning waste into sustainable outdoor living.

Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. partners with Osomtex to transform end-of-life textile donations into socks. End-of-life textiles from Goodwill Suncoast are sent to Osomtex in Miami, FL, which turns them into fiber and then spins them into yarn. The yarn is used to create socks that can be found in many Goodwill stores.  Additional sustainable products are also under consideration.