GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Like many this past year, you’ve probably made a stop or two to Goodwill to donate extra items. But, the extra donations Goodwill has seen is causing the non-profit to run into some issues.
Shelves at your local Goodwill, like on Green Bay’s east side, are probably packed with items just waiting to be bought. But, behind the doors of where the sorting of donations happens, a lot of times meant to be on the shelves, are making it in the trash.
“The other day I was sorting and there was a deer butcher knife and if I didn’t have my gloves on I probably would’ve chopped my finger off,” said Jordan Mornard, the production team leader for the Goodwill on Green Bay’s east side.
He tells FOX 11 donations like the sharp knife, are causing safety hazards, and money for Goodwill.
“We actually got chloroform the other day believe it or not. Very unsafe things and a lot of it. Which costs us a lot of money to throw away which happens a lot.”
Mornard estimates the garbage they’ve collected over the last year costs around $1 million to dispose of. And they’re not the only ones.
FOX 11 asked if that $1 million estimate was for just the east side location.
“I would probably say yes and then multiply it by 27 stores,” said Mornard.
Employees say the excess trash is not only costing them money, but time, too.
“It takes away from our mission dollars what we do here is we have school of work kids program participants and all the trash we receive and have to bump it takes away from their work experience because they’re not able to merchandise that product for the floor even price” said Mornard.
Mornard says the increase in “bad” donations comes from a higher volume of donations.
“Here at the store alone we average about 200 to 250 donations a day.”
Before the pandemic, the east side location says they accepted just around 100 to 150 donations per day. Mornard says the increase likely has to do with the pandemic.
“With the shutdown it allowed people to clean their house and then even donate more to us.”
So when it comes to knowing what the store will and will not take, they say to just ask.
“We’ve even had people take a picture on their cell phone and come in to shop and say I want to donate this item, would you guys take this? There’s a lot of different ways to save them time and strain and frustration as well,” said Kathy Vanmun, the store’s team leader.
Goodwill employees ask that you pack donations neatly, and safely. Also to only drop off during designation hours.
For a full list of what you can and cannot donate, click here.
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