Thrift shopping at Goodwill can help combat climate change

SAN ANTONIO – Did you know it takes 2,100 gallons of water just to make one pair of jeans? And that it takes 700 gallons of water to make one cotton T-shirt?

According to research by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, textile manufacturing produces more emissions than all international flights and shipping combined and is responsible for more than 20% of wastewater produced globally.

“Hyper-consumerism and fast fashion, you think about the implications that it has on our environment, right?” Libby Castillo, with Goodwill San Antonio said. “Not only, those items are not made very well, but then they go into landfills quicker, but they’re made with a lot of water, a lot of maybe toxic chemicals that end up in our resources.”

More items in the landfills means more greenhouse gases released, which contributes to global warming and climate change.

It’s why thrifting and shopping gently-used doesn’t just save you money, it’s also saving the planet.

“I think a lot of people are shopping a little bit differently nowadays,” Castillo said. “So they’re shopping eco-conscious and budget conscious. And you can get do both here at Goodwill.”

Additional statistics:

• Goodwill recovered 4.3 billion across the globe in 2023

• In San Antonio’s 24 goodwill stores, 1 million items were donated.

• In 2023, Goodwill repurposed 22.7 million items globally.

• Within San Antonio Goodwill’s, 1.3 million pounds of hazardous electronic equipment was responsibly recycled.

“We are a nonprofit, I think a lot of people might forget that,” Castillo said. “So when you shop here, your purchases go towards supporting our community by providing good jobs, career training and employment placement services.”

You can do your part by donating gently used items to your nearest Goodwill donation station and by shopping at your local Goodwill store.