According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, some of the largest sources of municipal solid waste include clothing, furniture, footwear and other nondurable goods like bedding. And across the country, 11.3 million tons of these items were sent to landfills in 2018.
With the opening of a Goodwill outlet store on Mall Road, as well as other Goodwill locations across north-central West Virginia, opportunities are presented to lessen material waste, provide financially accessible goods and offer a unique shopping experience with the first outlet-style store in the area.
“Over the last 12 months the salvage and recycling activities at our West Virginia operations center has kept over 4.5 million pounds of consumer goods and clothing out of local landfills,” said Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania Director of Retail Distribution and Salvage Operations Kevin Akans. According to Goodwill’s 2022 annual sustainability report, 4.1 billion pounds of goods were kept out of landfills by Goodwill operations internationally.
The Mall Road outlet store opened in 2021, and is the first of its kind in the area. Rather than the typical thrift store set-up, with organized racks or shelves of items, the outlet location offers deeply discounted products stored in large bins and sold by the pound. Shoppers search through the array of products for something that catches their eye, an exciting thrifting experience that has grown in popularity on social media in recent years.
The bins — on wheels — are switched out on a set rotation so shoppers can see new items throughout the day.
“Our outlet store has been quite the hit amongst local shoppers,” said Akans. “Our goal is to get fresh merchandise to the floor every 30 minutes during operating hours. It’s truly a treasure hunt!”
Beyond the sustainability impact of the store’s operations, the center also acts as a source to relocate donations to other sites, as to be placed in a community where the demand exists and they are more likely to be sold. In doing so, the charitable efforts of local Goodwills can continue, including the organization’s mission to provide employment opportunities.
“We are always in need of new donations to keep shelves full for incoming shoppers,” said Akans. “Most importantly, gently used household donations from the public enable Goodwill to generate funds for our charitable mission to serve individuals with barriers to employment.”
Donations of clothing and shoes, linens, kitchenware, decorative items, small furniture, appliances and electronics, as well as other small home items in gently used condition are accepted. Items can be taken to the Goodwill locations in Bridgeport, Buckhannon, Fairmont, Grafton, Sabraton, Westover, or the Morgantown outlet on Mall Road.
Morgantown Goodwill Outlet hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit goodwillncwv.org.
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