BY  BUFFY POLLOCK FOR THE MAIL TRIBUNE September 10, 2018
In a major shift for one of the region’s biggest nonprofits — which makes its living off others’ castoffs — Southern Oregon Goodwill is no longer accepting e-waste.

Goodwill officials blame a shifting global recycling market, saying fewer places to recycle unwanted electronics is driving up costs.

“Our business model relies on the generosity of the community,” says Marketing Director Julie Fletcher. “We are a social enterprise that sells donated items for resale value. We use our revenues to provide job connections and build relationships with employers, and it’s important to keep our overhead very, very low.

“It’s important for us with donations to only accept items that we can sell. The value of stuff is only as much as people will pay for it.”

Since Sept. 1, donors have had to find alternate places to dispose of the 1.5 million pounds of e-waste — older televisions, computers, printers and other electronics — that were dropped off at Goodwill locations annually in a four-county region.

Continue Reading