Iredell County Solid Waste has created a partnership with Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina which will expand the organizations footprint in Iredell County and offer citizens an alternative solution for unwanted items.
Starting on Dec. 5, Goodwill will begin accepting donations at Attended Donation Centers at the Iredell County Landfill (354 Twin Oaks Road, Statesville) and Mooresville Transfer Station (158 Macleod Drive, Mooresville). Collection bins will also be in place at the county’s three convenience sites (866 W. Memorial Hwy, Harmony; 3918 Wilkesboro Hwy and 257 Watermelon Road, Statesville).
Acceptable donations include gently used clothing, shoes, boots, jewelry, books, games, toys, sports equipment, collectibles, hand tools, linens, furniture and other housewares. Goodwill will not accept televisions or computer equipment. For a full list of acceptable items, please click here.
According to the Council for Textile Recycling, the U.S. generates an average of 25 billion pounds of textiles per year or about 82 pounds per resident. Only 15% gets donated or recycled, which results in 85% or 70 pounds per person going into local landfills. That adds up to about 21 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) per year; more than 5.2% of all municipal solid waste generated in the United States. And this amount is growing. Between 1999 and 2009, the volume of PCTW generated grew by 40% while the diversion rate only increased by 2%. The volume is projected to grow to 35.4 billion pounds by 2019.
Since 1902, Goodwill’s nonprofit model of collecting and selling donated goods has helped communities repurpose their textiles and other used goods in environmentally responsible ways that prevent them from piling up in local landfills. Last year alone, more than 79 million Goodwill donors in the U.S. and Canada helped divert more than 2.5 billion pounds of usable goods from the waste stream.
The partnership between Goodwill and Iredell County is not only good for the environment, it is also good for the people of Iredell County as well. Residents will be given donation receipts to document their tax deductible donations. Goodwill will use the revenue from the sale of the donated items to fund a variety of programs that will enhance the dignity and quality of life for individuals in our area. Programs include customized job training, employment placement and community-based services to people with disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others who face challenges finding employment. In addition, this program will create four local jobs.
For more information, please visit Iredell County Solid Waste online or call (704) 878-5430.