By now, all the holiday gifts have been opened, and wrapping paper thrown away -- but what about all those perfectly good boxes you have taking up space? Instead of tossing those in the recycling bin too, you can use it to help a person in need. Camille DeLongis has more from the Goodwill in Vestal.
Goodwill stores across the country have teamed up with an organization called 'Give Back Box.’ For those who ordered gifts online, this is a way to give those shipping boxes a second life -- by donating your used household items and clothing.
All you do is fill it up with things you don't want or need anymore, print out a free 'Give Back Box' shipping label, and drop it a UPS or USPS location. The boxes will be sent to your local Goodwill and the items will be sold.
The revenue from the sale of those donations will be used to provide employment placement, job training, career counseling, education and mentoring to millions of people.
By participating, people can help cut down on the estimated 11 million tons of clothing, footwear, and other textiles that end up in landfills each year, along with the nearly 4 million tons of discarded boxes.
"I'm very much a reduce, reuse, recycle type of person. That's why I shop Goodwill. I shop at all the other thrift stores too because I loved to see things reused, not go into the landfill, and at the same time you help people. It's great,” said Jane Olsa, a Goodwill shopper.
It is totally free to send a 'Give Back Box.' And to print a free 'Give Back Box' shipping label, just head to the Goodwill website.