By Laura Walling, Senior Director of Government Relations, Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International (GII) recently had the honor of participating in a virtual Congressional briefing entitled, “Fashion and the Environment – How to Achieve a Circular Future”. Opening remarks were provided by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Co-Chair, Senate Recycling Caucus; Chairman, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chair, House Recycling Caucus; Chairman, House Energy and Commerce Committee. Other panelists included subject matter experts from The RealReal and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Speakers discussed the fashion and apparel industry’s impacts on our climate and environment, how circular markets and sustainable economies can be part of the solution in the fight against climate change, and how good actors in the industries are leading the way with best practices and less carbon-intensive models.
“As a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the source of many of the microplastics that are ending up in our ocean, the textile industry has a significant impact on the fate of our planet. At a time when we need all hands on deck to combat the climate crisis, leaders in the fashion and textile industry have an important role to play to promote sustainability and transition towards a circular economy,” said Senator Carper.
“On behalf of the House Recycling Caucus, I want to thank The RealReal, Goodwill and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for highlighting the incredible benefits of working toward a circular economy. As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I am working to support a sustainable, circular economy. Including textiles and the fashion industry in the equation is a great step forward and I appreciate the partnership of these groups,” said Chairman Pallone.
Brittany Dickinson, GII’s Manager of Sustainability shared in 2021, Goodwill retail stores and donation sites received more than 107 million donations of used goods. The majority of these donations consisted of clothing and other textiles. Given our social enterprise model, Goodwill has an enormous opportunity to find ways to tap into, and lead, in the circular textile recycling economy. Local Goodwill organizations are developing solutions for textile circularity. For example, Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin is collaborating with the California Product Stewardship Council on a repair study to understand the value-add of repairing clothing donations that are of a higher quality and in need of minor repair. Goodwill Industries of South Florida partners with the U.S. Army to recycle and repurpose legacy uniforms and equipment. Initiatives like these also enhance our mission focus on skills training and job placement in local communities.
Goodwill has been an environmental pioneer and social innovator in “reduce, reuse, repurpose” for 120 years. Through a business model of collecting and selling donated goods, Goodwill organizations help communities extend the life of usable items and divert them from landfills. The public, private, and nonprofit sectors play an important role in advancing solutions that help promote the circular textile economy, and we’re proud to be at the table. The Congressional briefing was the first of many conversations we will have with lawmakers and partners on the critical issue of sustainability, contributing to the economic health of communities, preserving resources, and protecting our environment.
