The Walmart Foundation has granted $1.2 million to support Goodwill Industries International Inc. and Accelerating Circularity to develop skills, systems, and infrastructure at participating Goodwill organizations to transform unsellable textile donations into recycling feedstock. This transformation is critical to the circular textile economy.
The partnership with Goodwill is intended to develop skills, systems, and infrastructure at local Goodwill organizations to transform unsellable textile donations into recycling feedstock. Participating local Goodwill organizations are using the grant funding to learn to produce post-consumer textile feedstock that meets recyclers’ specifications and to educate and train staff on sorting and feedstock preparation processes. 25 local Goodwill organizations are involved in this project, with leadership from Goodwill Industries of Tenneva Area, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, Goodwill Industries of Ontario Great Lakes, and Goodwill Industries of West Michigan. The local Goodwill organizations are modeling and testing regional textile collaboration hubs in partnership that can be replicated across the Goodwill member network, and adopted by other social enterprises for the benefit of their constituents and the advancement of textile circularity.
“This initiative with Goodwill Industries is an example of Accelerating Circularity’s unique role in creating new connections to mainstream the adoption of post-consumer textiles as raw materials,” said Sarah Coulter, Director of Operations and Special Projects for Accelerating Circularity “Accelerating Circularity has lead the design and implementation of this program, providing subject matter expertise, program management, relationship building, and training and tools development at the participating Goodwill locations.”
“We see an opportunity to advance our mission by supporting Goodwill’s effort to transform textiles destined for salvage into higher-value recycling feedstocks by sorting to spec, removing trims and other irritants, and aggregating sufficient volumes to support full commercialization of textile-to-textile systems,” shared Karla Magruder, President and Founder of Accelerating Circularity.
“Goodwill is focused on developing solutions for textiles that are scalable, circular, and traceable, and we see textile-to-textile recycling as a key pathway for donations that are unwearable and at their end of life. Establishing regional Goodwill collaborations for textile circularity supports Goodwill’s role as a critical player in the circular economy and aligns with our organizational sustainability strategy,” shared Brittany Dickinson, Director of Sustainability at Goodwill Industries International.
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