Our Environment Deserves a Second Chance, Too

For Goodwill SF Bay, sustainability of people and planet is embedded in our mission to do good in the communities we serve.

Goodwill is a conscientious steward of the planet through landfill diversion, textile and electronics re-use, our E-truck fleet, and green jobs. In just the last few years, Goodwill, a California Certified Green Business, has created hundreds of jobs dedicated to reducing waste.

All Goodwill employees receive extensive training in environmental sustainability best practices, and some jobs are dedicated completely to sustainability practices such as those in our ReCompute program, in which employees learn how to disassemble computers and electronics, refurbishing them for sale in one of our stores or on our e-commerce site.

Last year, in large part because of ReCompute, Goodwill SF Bay diverted over 3 million pounds electronics from local landfills.

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Million
Pounds Goodwill diverted from local landfills last year

The Future of Goodwill is Electric!

SF Goodwill's fleet of electric trucks promotes environmental sustainability. We're green!

In 2019 we increased our commitment to the environment and industry leadership by onboarding a fleet of 11 zero-emission battery electric trucks—the first organization in the United States to deploy electric heavy-duty, “Class 6” delivery trucks.

As a result, SF Goodwill was honored by the environmental education and advocacy organization Acterra with its Spare the Air Leadership Award, sponsored by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

Over the next three years, the trucks will result in a reduction of over 400 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the neighborhoods we serve. The e-truck program also provides a public health and social benefit, as Goodwill’s trucks frequent low-income zip codes that historically have higher rates of respiratory illnesses, often caused by poor air quality.

Goodwill Gives Reusable Items a Second Life and People a Second Chance

When you donate goods to Goodwill, whatever we can’t sell in our stores, we sell in bulk through our aftermarket business and outlet stores. This serves two goals—bringing in additional income to fund our programs and reducing the impact on the Bay Area landfill.

closeup of woman's hands working on a computer

Our commitment to the environment extends even further. We are training workers for 21st century jobs that are environmentally conscious, such as recycling computers in our ReCompute program, in which Goodwill employees learn how to refurbish and disassemble  computers and electronics into their component parts and then sell them in our stores or on our e-commerce site.

Donating and shopping at Goodwill helps our planet and the local environment

Donations and purchases at our stores help Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay divert >40 million pounds from local landfills every year.

Half of the trucks in Goodwill’s SF fleet are fully electric, reducing local carbon emissions by 400 tons over 3 years.

Donations provide affordable, unique, and locally-sourced secondhand items as an alternative to buying new.

Buying secondhand reduces demand for new items, which saves water and reduces carbon emissions.

 

Watch former CEO William Rogers’ TEDx talk and join us in taking simple steps to make a big difference for our planet

In honor of the 2021 Climate Action Plan, Goodwill San Francisco Bay CEO William Rogers was invited to speak at TEDxCityofSanFrancisco for their series, Hope in a Heated Planet – a global initiative that aims to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. Learn how donating and buying secondhand clothes helps our planet and the local environment.