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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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The Unfollow Effect

We've come a long way. But not necessarily in the right direction.

From the the nostalgic days of AOL Instant Messenger to 2026's high-stakes, algorithmic landscape, constant connectivity has fundamentally shifted our attention spans, our peace of mind, and the way we show up for our families.

Worse, the desire to show up online often takes us directly out of real life. It's no surprise, then, that we're feeling the mental and emotional weight of the "scroll".

We don't have to throw our phones in a lake to find the reprieve we desperately need. On today's show author Emily Feldpausch argues that it isn’t about rejecting technology. It’s about reclaiming the intentionality that the algorithms try to take away.

Here's a preview:

[5:00] Reflections on the shift from the early days of AIM and MySpace to the current user experience that often feels designed against us

[8:45] How being always on has eroded our collective sense of peace and altered the dynamics of modern family life

[18:00] How to stop checking in and start being present

[23:00] A candid look at 2026 internet culture, from shopping hauls to harmful beauty standards. Can we still find corners of the web that align with our true values?

[27:00] Emily's personal strategies for maintaining phone boundaries to protect her mental space

 

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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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