PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Almost everyone has a closet, garage or even an office in need of some spring cleaning. Kaiser Permanente and Goodwill Southern California have joined forces for the sixth year to commemorate Earth Day with a region-wide waste and donation drive. This year, the e-waste and donation campaign includes more than 20 Kaiser Permanente Southern California facilities from Bakersfield to San Diego.
“Since 2007 we have been working with our community and business partners to recycle, reduce and reuse thousands of pounds of electronics, clothing, and other items that can be donated during our annual Earth Day events,” said Scott Wendling, regional executive of support services, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region. “Through our partnership with Goodwill Industries and the Secure Document Alliance, we are able to be environmental stewards that are creating healthy communities. Our secure document destruction and recycling program with Goodwill Industries, along with our annual Earth Day events, has helped create more than 100 recycling jobs for persons with disabilities.”
Members of the public as well as Kaiser Permanente physicians and employees will be heading to work this month determined to recycle, reduce and reuse unwanted electronic equipment such as phones, television sets and computers along with household goods such as appliances, toys and clothes. Goodwill will be standing by with 24-foot trucks to properly recycle or dispose of the electronic waste and other goods, keeping it out of our landfills.
In the last three years, 148,747 lbs. of e-waste including old computers, monitors, printers, cables, video-game consoles and cell phones have poured into Kaiser Permanente-Goodwill collection sites. That heap of electronic waste ultimately saved almost 6,607 cubic feet of landfill space.
“We have enjoyed our partnership with Kaiser Permanente over the years and are very happy to team up again this year to help care for the Earth,” said Douglas H. Barr, chief executive officer and president of Goodwill Southern California. “The Earth Day e-waste and donation drive events we host annually help us engage and enrich the community through the diversion of thousands of pounds of usable and recyclable goods from landfills while providing sustainable employment for individuals with disabilities and disadvantages. And that’s good for everyone.”
The Kaiser Permanente Southern California corporate headquarters in Pasadena (393 East Walnut St., 91188) will kick off this year’s e-waste and donation campaign on Tuesday, April 17. Kaiser Permanente employees and members of the public will be able to drop off their old electronics and household items between 7:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Goodwill representatives will assist with heavy items and will provide receipts for all donated goods they accept.
E-waste and donation campaign events will also take place in Riverside, Ontario, South Bay, Downey, San Diego, Baldwin Park and Woodland Hills April 17-19. Other Kaiser Permanente locations will be collecting electronic waste through April 27, including Bellflower, Bakersfield, Fontana, Panorama City, West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Irvine and Anaheim.
About Goodwill Southern California
Transforming lives through the power of work, we serve people with disabilities or other vocational challenges, as well as businesses, by providing education, training, work experience and job placement services. In 2011, GSC served 107,802, including individuals with disabilities and vocational disadvantages and 7,140 businesses. We placed 9,596 people in new jobs through programs and services offered at three campuses, four WorkSource centers and 23 job service sites throughout Los Angeles (north of Rosecrans Ave.), Riverside and San Bernardino counties. GSC supports its mission of “Transforming lives through the Power of Work” with proceeds generated from 69 retail stores and 44 attended donation centers. Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator has awarded GSC its highest four-star ranking for 11 consecutive years; largely due to the fact GSC spends 93 percent of its budget on programs and services. Committed to caring for the earth, last year GSC diverted 53.6 million pounds of reusable or recyclable goods from landfills. Goodwill is Good For Everyone! For more information about Goodwill Southern California, please call (888) 4-GOODWILL or visit www.goodwillsocal.org.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 3.5 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.