San Diego Goodwill Now Recycles Soft Plastics at Stores

San Diego just made it easier for residents to keep plastic bags and packaging out of landfills.

Goodwill stores across the California city are now accepting soft plastics at select donation centers. This includes retail bags, bubble wrap, air pillows, newspaper sleeves, and plastic film wrap that most curbside recycling programs refuse.

The charity noticed more shoppers were using plastic bags to drop off donations. Instead of throwing these materials away, Goodwill partnered with a recycling vendor to give them new life.

Once collected, the soft plastics get sorted and sent to recycling partners who transform them into durable products. Think patio furniture, decking, and other outdoor items that can last for years.

Darlene Cossio, Director of Marketing and Communications for Goodwill San Diego, explained the thinking behind the program. "We identified an opportunity to continue to be environmentally responsible by diverting those materials," she said.

The initiative solves a frustrating problem for environmentally conscious shoppers. Soft plastics contaminate traditional recycling streams and usually have nowhere to go except the trash.

The Ripple Effect

This program creates multiple wins at once. Shoppers get a convenient drop-off location for hard-to-recycle materials they've been accumulating at home.

The environment benefits from fewer plastics entering landfills where they can take hundreds of years to break down. Instead, these materials get transformed into products people actually use.

Goodwill keeps the process simple but important. Donors need to bring only clean, dry plastics because moisture and food residue can contaminate other donations and make recycling impossible.

The organization is also mindful of operational costs. "Wet or soiled soft plastics can contaminate other donations and often cannot be recycled, which may increase operational costs," Cossio noted.

By expanding beyond their traditional donation model, Goodwill shows how community organizations can tackle environmental challenges. The program gives San Diego residents a practical solution to a waste problem that has stumped many households.

What started as noticing plastic bags at donation centers has grown into a community-wide recycling initiative that keeps materials circulating instead of cluttering landfills.