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Donating’s Dark Side: Where Do Goodwill Donations Go?

Donating’s Dark Side: Where Do Goodwill Donations Go?

We live in a society that craves what's shiny and what's new. We toss broken stuff without bothering to repair it; we donate perfectly good stuff to make room in our homes for newer, sleeker models, too. But have you ever wondered where our Goodwill donations really go? Inside; Author and journalist Adam Minter explains what really happens to our donated stuff; he offers insight into the dark side of consumerism, too.


Ever wondered where Goodwill donations really go?

Our society craves what’s shiny and what’s new. We toss broken stuff without bothering to repair it; we donate perfectly good stuff to make room in our homes for newer, sleeker models, too.

Between 1967 and 2017, the amount Americans spent annually on stuff increased nearly twenty-fold. And while some items will be recycled into new goods or given to others in need, the vast majority of our unwanted stuff is destined for landfills.

Today I’m interviewing Adam Minter, journalist and author of the new book, Secondhand: Adventures in the New Global Garage Sale.

Adam pulls back the curtain on where our Goodwill donations actually go; he raises some big points about the dark side of consumerism, too.

 

* Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.

* Want more episodes like this one? Try #095: Planned Obsolescence: What It Is and What to Do About It. 

 


We live in a society that craves what's shiny and what's new. We toss broken stuff without bothering to repair it; we donate perfectly good stuff to make room in our homes for newer, sleeker models, too. But have you ever wondered where our Goodwill donations really go? Inside; Author and journalist Adam Minter explains what really happens to our donated stuff; he offers insight into the dark side of consumerism, too.

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HEADLINES: Biggest Plastic Polluters Revealed

The environmental news headlines you need to know for Friday, April 26 2024:

[00:30] The world's biggest plastic polluters revealed

[2:30] Biden limits oil drilling in the Alaskan arctic (it's also an election year)

[5:00] One of the worst coral bleaching events happening right now in the Great Barrier Reef

[8:00] Nearly 2 in 5 Americans live in a place with unhealthy or hazardous air. Are you one of them?

[12:00] Can cloning be a legitimate solution to species extinction?

 

Resource mentioned:

One million species face extinction, U.N. report says. And humans will suffer as a result. (via WaPo)

 




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Hello there, I’m Stephanie. I live a crazy, beautiful life as a full-time wife, blogger + mother to two spirited daughters. I’m on a mission to simplify eco-friendly living so as to greater enjoy life’s sweeter moments.

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