How donating to Goodwill helps Charlotte's community

If sorting through the clothes in your closet or the clutter in your garage is on your spring cleaning list, you'll be happy to know donating your pre-loved items to Goodwill can make a positive impact on the environment and our community.

♻️ Making a positive environmental impact

The challenge: The fashion industry's environmental impact is a huge issue.

• The average American throws away approximately 81.5 pounds of clothes annually, leading to an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste in America alone, according to Resource Recycling Systems.

The solution: Donating and shopping secondhand gives items another chance to be used to their maximum potential, lessening the amount of material sent to landfills and the demand for new clothing.

• An example: It takes 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make one pair of jeans. Donating clothes you no longer want and purchasing secondhand items helps preserve the planet's water supply.

The impact: Last year, local donations to Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont gave a second life to more than 17 million items.

• Plus, plus, plus: Goodwill eliminated electronic waste by recycling and refurbishing more than 1.1 million pounds of electronics donated by the local community last year. Goodwill's tech store, The GRID, keeps hazardous material out of landfills and provides affordable access to technology.

🫂 Supporting Charlotteans

While you might know Goodwill for its stores, the organization's main mission is about creating thousands of jobs and career growth opportunities in the Charlotte area.

As one of the largest nonprofits in the region, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont employs more than 1,200 people. Through 35 retail stores, the Goodwill Opportunity Campus and partnerships with employers, Goodwill builds pathways for community members to uncover their passions and enhance their skillsets by offering tuition-free career training programs in high-demand industries, job search support, family stability services and more.

The proof: Our local Goodwill helped more than 9,000 people advance their career and personal goals in 2023.

• An example: Chastity Spruill completed the Advanced IT program at Goodwill and worked with a Career Navigator who helped her find a more flexible and lucrative career for herself and her family. Now, she's a Programmer Analyst with Cognizant.
• "When I heard about the IT program at Goodwill, I could not believe it was free. I take things to Goodwill all the time, but I never really realized where it goes. I'm thankful to everybody who donates because without them I wouldn't be here," said Spruill.

✅ Get involved

Goodwill donations stay local and support the Charlotte community.

What you need to know: There are more than 40 donation locations in the greater Charlotte area. Goodwill also does home pickups in 19 zip codes if you plan to donate two or more large items.

Here is a list of items that may be donated to Goodwill.

• Clothing
• Shoes and accessories
• Collectibles and antiques
• Books, music and movies
• Housewares and home décor
• Household textiles and bedding
• Furniture
• Small appliances
• Computers and related accessories
• Electronic equipment
• Sports equipment
• Toys and video games
• Flat-panel televisions (working or non-working)
• Vehicles, including cars, boats, motorcycles and other recreational equipment

Okay, but: Goodwill cannot accept items that would be unsafe for others to purchase or use like mattresses, bed pillows, car seats, hazardous materials and items that have been recalled.

Learn more about Goodwill and find a donation location near you.