Goodwill: Good for the Environment In the thrift-based retail industry ‘zero waste’ is defined as 10% or less to landfill. Last year more than one million donors gave us a North American record of more than 197 million pounds. Of that, only 11.2% was taken to the landfill. Through our continuous quality improvement program we have steadily reduced the flow of materials to the landfill. From 46.2% in 1991 to the present low of 11.2%. In both 2012 and 2013 Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette (GICW) received national awards for our sustainable business practices. “As a Goodwill national leader in thrift retail and recycling, we take environmental stewardship seriously,” says Michael Miller, GICW President and CEO. Efficient processes drive down costs, yet in 2014 dumping fees cost $1.7 million dollars. We deeply appreciate the generosity of our donors and take the following steps to protect their donations:      Attended donation sites are open 10 to 12 hours per day, 363 days per year. 21 hours a day-everyday, trucks travel site to site on clean-up routes. We conduct after-hours surveillance at randomly chosen donation sites. We prosecute and enact civil demand recoveries. All donation sites have signage warning of potential penalties prohibiting dumping. In 2014, more than 380,000 services were provided in Northwest and Central Oregon and Southwest Washington through GICW’s free job programs. Virtually all our mission services are funded through the sale of donations. It is very important our supporters bring us their donations during the hours we are open. For locations and hours of our donation sites, go to www.meetgoodwill.org For more information on GICW sustainability practices and free job programs contact Dale Emanuel at [email protected] or 503-572-0177