Thrift stores save money, landfill space

The Star’s article “Green execs sprout up,” (12/23, Business) did a great job reporting on organizations increasingly realizing the importance of “going green.” Chief sustainability officers will continue to play a vital role not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it can be profitable as well.

One vital avenue that was not mentioned, however, was the ultimate green opportunity to donate usable items to organizations that operate thrift stores. For instance, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas TurnStyles thrift store receives more than 12,000 loads a year of unwanted but usable, good-quality items, while serving more than 3,000 customers per week.

Organizations, including UPS, Sprint, Embarq, Marriott Downtown, Costco, Wal-Mart, Target and LabOne, regularly provide good-quality items that are resold or given to clients in need, saving consumers millions of dollars and providing much-needed revenue to help financially support numerous charitable programs in our community.

Companies are able to reduce landfill expenses, save people money and receive recognition in the marketplace. In this tough economic period, that just makes perfect sense.

Doug Clopton
Director of in-kind donations, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas
Overland Park

Comments

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

I always thought Chief Petty Officer was amusing.

[Marctnts]

"Chief sustainability officers"

I've always found the trend toward "big titles" humorous. The C-blank-blank system used to have direct relation to the legal corporate structure of an organization. Now it seems to be a good way to make sure every department feels like it has a "big guy" representing them.