This year, all Goodwill of the Heartland stores
will stop providing single-use plastic shopping bags

Goodwill Stores that no longer provide single use shopping bags will offer no-cost donated bags and boxes and will also have some inexpensive reusable bags for sale.

Some Goodwill shoppers may have noticed their local Goodwill Store no longer provides plastic shopping bags. The shift is a key part of our long-term sustainability plan, anticipated to be in place at all locations by the end of the year.

“Sustainability — recycling and reusing as much as possible —is a big part of our identity as a Goodwill organization,” said Kolbi Jamison, the retail project manager who has spearheaded this initiative.

“Use of plastic shopping bags, especially when we have alternatives, just stood in contrast to that aspect of who we are and what we strive to be in our communities. I don’t think a lot of people realized that each of our 19 stores used, on average, 100,000 plastic bags a year, which added a lot of plastic pollution to the environment.”

Several Plastic Bag Alternatives

Goodwill Stores no longer offering plastic shopping bags provide shoppers a variety of boxes and bags at no charge that arrive through donation. Those stores also carry some inexpensive reusable bags for purchase. And, of course, shoppers are always welcome to bring a bag from home, or carry their purchase without a bag.

“Plastic bags don’t come without a price tag,” Jamison said. “We had to purchase all of those bags, which diverted money better spent on our mission services.”

The Goodwill Outlet in Cedar Rapids stopped offering plastic shopping bags in 2023. Last year, seven traditional Goodwill Stores made the shift, with the remainder to follow in the coming months.

Thanks to the generous support of our shoppers and donors, in 2023 alone Goodwill of the Heartland diverted more than 9 million pounds of items from local landfills. That’s a lot of stuff! It’s also proof that when we work together, we make a positive difference. (Totals for 2024 will be available in the coming weeks.)

We believe this change will have a positive impact in all our communities, and we hope you’ll join us in embracing this eco-friendly shift.