A former Goodwill employee shared an explosive account of routinely discarding donations rather than selling or giving them away.
What's happening?
The employee broke their silence on the "r/goodwill" subreddit after what they deemed was a wrongful termination. They included several unsettling photos.
They didn't hold back in their criticism of the chain, characterizing it as "full of greed and corruption," and said they'd "witnessed horrors and mistreatment from this company."
Some of the biggest accusations were about corporate greed. They alleged that blankets and linens were never given away, and that they were reprimanded for giving a blanket to a man in need during a winter storm.
They said the company tossed or threw away clothing unless it was packaged or brand-new. To protect that behavior, they claimed the stores blocked cameras to prevent employees from seeing it.
They shared several other disturbing stories from their Goodwill tenure, including mistreatment of employees with disabilities, co-workers being scapegoated for a donation site fire, ignored harassment, and sweltering work conditions.
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Their account sparked a lively discussion on Reddit, with most commenters commending the poster but some remaining skeptical.
"Kudos to you for speaking the truth out loud," a supportive user wrote. "Not many people can."
Why is Goodwill's alleged misconduct important?
Goodwill is a good place to drop off unwanted clothing, blankets, and linens so they can get into the hands of someone who needs them. It would be terribly frustrating if that's not happening because the company is more worried about profits than people.
Besides, this would add to America's textile waste problem, which sees millions of tons of textiles head to landfills where they produce methane, a potent gas. It's also a missed opportunity to redirect these items to people who need them, even if that means not making money off of them.
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Store them at home 📦 Considering Goodwill touts its job development and career support, the original poster's allegations about the treatment of employees with disabilities are also concerning.
Is Goodwill doing anything about this?
Goodwill hasn't publicly addressed these claims. However, the organization states on its website that it collaborates with nonprofits to prevent billions of pounds of waste from reaching landfills.
The response in the Reddit thread showed the complexities of the issue. Some Goodwill employees shared different experiences, but many posters were unsurprised by the allegations and had also witnessed the mistreatment of employees.
Goodwill has previously been under fire for similar reports of waste.
What's being done about textile waste more broadly?
The circular economy depends on secondhand purchases, which makes thrift stores a big part of solving this problem. Consumers can thrift and look for new, higher-quality items that may cost more but last longer than fast-fashion pieces.
Countries can also address the problem by exploring new ways to repurpose and recycle old textiles instead of trashing them.
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