Goodwill® Takes Part In America Recycles Day

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries International is proud to once again partner with Keep America Beautiful for America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized day devoted to environmental citizenship and recycling. America Recycles Day takes place on Saturday, November 15.

Begun in 1997, America Recycles Day brings together thousands of communities across the country by calling on nonprofits, colleges and universities, government organizations and businesses to take a more active role in utilizing available recycling resources.

"What makes America Recycles Day special for Goodwill is that we are not only helping to protect the environment by encouraging recycling, but we are also supporting the Goodwill mission," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Every item that Goodwill receives generates income to fund job training programs and services in communities nationwide."

One way in which Goodwill does its part is by encouraging recycling among college and university populations. In addition to America Recycles Day, Goodwill and Keep America Beautiful also sponsor a donated goods campaign on university campuses each spring. This initiative, called Give and Go, resulted in more than 232,000 pounds of recyclables being collected at U.S. schools of higher learning in 2014. That is an average of just more than five pounds of recycled goods per student, and an increase of 20 percent from 2013's total. Since its inception, Give and Go has funded more than 7,000 hours of job training services through Goodwill.

In the past three years, America Recycles Day has resulted in a total of 9.5 million pounds of recyclables collected at an average of 2,000 registered events each year. More than just a single-day event, America Recycles Day provides a chance to encourage family, friends, classmates and colleagues to recycle responsibly year round.

About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with a presence in 14 other countries. Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,000 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com^®. Goodwill also builds revenue and creates jobs by contracting with businesses and government agencies to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2013, more than 9.8 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services.

To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at www.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl

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SOURCE Goodwill Industries International