Goodwill of North Georgia is scheduled to break ground Jan. 4 on a new store in Tyrone that the organization is touting as “environmentally friendly.”
Much like each of its 58 existing stores, the new Goodwill facility will include about 12,500 square feet of sales floor space, an equally large production area and a drive-up donor door. Expected to be complete by the summer, the nonprofit expects the building to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
The internationally recognized designation will require the new store to be designed and built using methods to lower energy and water usage and reduce CO2 emissions. Inside the building shoppers, donors and employees will also benefit from the improved air quality LEED Certified buildings produce.
“Stewardship is important to Goodwill. Whether that means being good stewards of the donations we receive, adopting programs to cut waste, or lessening our impact on the environment,” said Elaine Armstrong, vice president of marketing.
Constructing a green store in Fayette County is just one of series of actions Goodwill has taken to reduce its impact on the environment. For the last six years its donated goods business has maintained an ISO 14001 Registration, another internationally recognized standard, which requires businesses to examine how their operations impact the environment and to create a plan of action to reduce those impacts. The organization also partners with several local companies to recycle computer equipment, plastics and other items.
“Yes, we want to be known as the organization that promotes the reuse of clothing, books and other household goods, but we also want to operate in a way that doesn’t negatively impact our environment,” Armstrong said.
The store is being constructed across the street from Goodwill’s existing donation center in Tyrone (1486 Hwy. 74). The sale of items at the store will help fund Goodwill’s job training programs and employment services. This year, the nonprofit plans to help 23,000 North Georgians find work.
