Lifecycle of a Goodwill Donation

August 17, 2026

You just dropped off that trash bag full of clothes, shoes, and bags that’s been sitting in your car for months to your local Goodwill Industries of Kansas store. You grab that donation receipt and head on with the rest of your day.

Have you ever wondered what happens to all that stuff you’ve donated?

At Goodwill Industries of Kansas, we work to maximize the impact of every donation on our mission services. Through reselling, recycling, and salvaging, we’re supporting programs that make education, training, and employment opportunities possible for everyone in Kansas.

Are you interested in donating to Goodwill? Click here to see a list of materials we can accept. Thank you for donating!

Donate

1. Clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, and housewares are donated to one of our Goodwill stores. There, they are sorted and categorized and made ready to sell in our stores. Donations unsuitable for resale are separated into recycle or salvage categories.

Sell

2. Suitable donations processed for resale in our Goodwill stores are sent to the sales floor. High-quality designer brands are often sent to ShopGoodwill, an online auction site where people from across the country can thrift from the comfort of their home while supporting Goodwill’s mission.

Recycle or Salvage

3. Items that do not sell in our stores come back to our plant to be appropriately salvaged and recycled. This includes clothing, electronics (through our Dell Reconnect partnership), and other materials. Materials can be sold to salvage companies for recycling and repurposing.

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Fund Mission Services

4. Proceeds from our stores fund our mission services that provide opportunities for education, training, and employment for people who may be experiencing barriers to employment.