LITTLE ROCK, GOODWILL TO PARTNER ON AMERICA RECYCLES DAY

Goodwill goal to recycle 500,000 pounds of e-waste this year

LITTLE ROCK – The City of Little Rock and Keep Little Rock Beautiful will partner with Goodwill Industries of Arkansas for the third year to celebrate America Recycles Day. Goodwill will accept computers and other e-waste for recycling, along with gently-used clothing, shoes, books and other household donations at four Goodwill locations in Little Rock on Friday, November 15, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

“Goodwill is proud to be partnering with Keep Little Rock Beautiful and the City of Little Rock for this year’s America Recycles Day. Events like our e-waste drive on November 15, raise awareness about the importance of responsible recycling that help our community,” said Leisa Wamsley, Goodwill’s vice president of Donated Goods. “Goodwill turns donated e-waste into jobs and gladly accepts electronic waste and other gently used items, all year long.”

Keep Little Rock Beautiful Board Members and the City of Little Rock will be at the Goodwill Markham Park Drive location along with Shred Smart accepting e-waste, donations, and materials for on-site shredding.

“Single stream residential recycling inside the City of Little Rock has kept over 13,000 tons of waste out of our landfill since April 2012, and we will continue to grow that number,” said Melinda Glasgow, Little Rock Sustainability Officer. “We are proud to partner with Goodwill on America Recycles Day to highlight the importance of recycling for our community, for job creation and for improving our environment.”

Individuals making a donation between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on November 15 at the participating Goodwill locations in Little Rock will be entered to win a $25 Goodwill gift certificate.

Shred Smart will also offer free shredding of confidential documents at the Markham Park Goodwill location during that time.

In 2013, Goodwill expects to recycle more than 500,000 pounds of e-waste. The e-waste program provides training and jobs for Goodwill’s Transitional Employment Opportunity participants.

Participating Goodwill locations in Little Rock include:

- 109 Markham Park Drive – near Markham and Bowman

- 7001 Cantrell Road – near the Westgate Shopping Center

- 1208 Bowman Road – at the intersection of Bowman and Kanis

- Goodwill Resource Center at 7400  Scott Hamilton Drive – located off I-30

For a list of e-waste that Goodwill accepts, visit their website at http://www.goodwillar.org/donate/donate_electronics.html.

For an America Recycles Day graphic, visit their website at http://americarecyclesday.org/toolkit.

About Goodwill Industries of Arkansas:

Goodwill Industries of Arkansas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of providing education, training, and employment services for people with disabilities and other special needs.  Revenue generated through the sale of gently-used donated goods at Goodwill retail stores is used to fund these critical programs for Arkansans. Information may also be found at www.goodwillar.org.

About Keep Little Rock Beautiful:

Keep Little Rock Beautiful (KLRB) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2005 by a group of individuals passionate about the environmental quality of life in their hometown. We are a volunteer-based community organization dedicated to litter prevention, recycling and waste reduction, and beautification and community improvement. Since 2006, KLRB has been a Certified Local Affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc., the nation’s leading community-improvement organization. We are also an affiliate of Keep Arkansas Beautiful.

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