Three years after the Arkansas legislature prohibited cities from limiting the use of single-use plastic containers, Goodwill Industries of Arkansas has introduced an initiative within its stores to do just that.
Recently, the nonprofit announced that it would remove plastic shopping bags from its stores. This change will go into effect Sept. 3, as more than 30 stores across the state run out of plastic bags.
GIA president and CEO Brian Marsh said this initiative came about through a special responsibility to his state.
“We're very committed to sustainability and safety and protecting the Natural State,” Marsh said. “So we made the determination that we would eliminate the use of plastic bags in our stores. Prior to making this decision, we were we were using about 3.1 million bags a year just in the state of Arkansas.”
Now, shoppers must utilize reusable totes, which will be available for purchase near the checkout. Though this style of self-packaging is not unknown in retail– think ALDI grocery stores– it’s certainly not the standard.
“At first, people are– it's a little bit of a challenge,” Marsh said. “There's some pushback, but when they understand why we're doing it, the majority, the vast majority of our customers, support it.”
Goodwill also receives quite a bit of plastic packaging from donations. Marsh said almost every item they take in is wrapped in plastic. Certain Goodwills have partnered with composite decking company Trex to recirculate that material, keeping it out of landfills. And progress in the state’s capitol is helping streamline the reclamation process.
“They take the bags that are donated,” Marsh said. “That product is donated to them. They collect those. They bail those up. And they then, in their partnership with Trex, they basically turn those over to Trex to be made into the boards that you can use to build your deck or lawn furniture. So, with Trex in Little Rock in the process of building their facility here at the port, we are intent. We've already contacted them. We will be partnering with them.”
Removing single-use plastics from Goodwill stores is part of the company’s greater commitment to a sustainable future.
Internationally, Goodwill Industries is working on ways to salvage unsellable fabrics.
They recently completed a two-year pilot project that sought to develop the skills, systems and infrastructure needed to collect and prepare textiles for recycling. The Textile Circularity Project was done in partnership with nonprofit Accelerating Circularity and was funded by a more than $1 million grant from the Walmart Foundation.
Marsh said he thinks Goodwill is setting a standard for the clothing industry. However, Goodwill of Arkansas has a unique charge when it comes to environmental stewardship.
“We lead the charge a little bit in that we are in the natural state, and we want to keep it that way,” Marsh said. “So how do we protect the state? It is a goal. It's a strategic goal in our strategic plan, we have a sustainability manager we've hired. We also have a focus on how we get into the other areas of reuse and reclamation.”
More information about Goodwill Industries of Arkansas can be found here.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The authoritative record of KUAF programming is the audio record.
Support KUAF and Keep Public Radio Thriving
For more than 50 years, KUAF has been your source for reliable news, enriching music and community connection. Your support allows us to bring you trustworthy journalism through programs like Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Ozarks at Large. As we build for the next 50 years, we need your support for KUAF to ensure we continue to provide the news, music, and connections you value. Your support is not just appreciated; it's essential. Make your gift today here.
Thank you for supporting KUAF!
