Goodwill is the Post-Holiday Headquarters for Electronics Donations

Rochester, NY, December 14, 2013 --(PR.com)-- After the holidays, sitting by the side of the road along with all the empty boxes, trashed tinsel, and wrangled wrapping paper are the ghosts of holidays past – TVs, computers, and other electronics that saw their usefulness come to an end with a holiday upgrade.

“It shouldn’t be this way,” says Sondra McFarlane, Vice President of Retail and Donated Goods at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. “Items like TVs, computer monitors, stereos, MP3 players, video game consoles and games that are no longer needed or wanted can serve a dual purpose if they are donated to Goodwill.”

Purpose #1: Donating your unwanted electronics to Goodwill saves you money.
People who donate their unwanted or no longer needed TVs, computer monitors, and other similar electronics and computer peripherals to Goodwill by the end of the year can potentially be credited with a tax-deductible donation on their taxes. “Why give so much to the Tax Man when you don’t have to,” quips McFarlane.

Purpose #2: Donating TVs and computer monitors supports a great local cause.
Donations of TVs, computer peripherals, as well as household items and apparel are what stock our Goodwill stores. Revenues derived from the sale of these items fund the mission-focused work Goodwill does to empower people with barriers to independence throughout the greater Rochester area.

Yet, if these two reasons are not enough persuasion to donate electronic items to Goodwill, McFarlane says there is also an environmental appeal to donating.

“Donating to Goodwill helps keep over 7 million pounds of items from ending up in local landfills,” said McFarlane, adding, “You’re giving these items a second chance at life, instead of a tragic landfill ending.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, households store five times more computer products than businesses do, with an estimated 5 million short tons of products in storage. CRTs (monitors and TVs) were the items stored at the highest rates. Additionally, over a 10-year span (1999-2009) there was a 120 percent increase in electronics that were ready to be properly disposed of, with only 25 percent of electronics being collected for recycling.

“When you donate TVs, computers, and other electronics to Goodwill by the end of the year, you could get a tax deduction, but more importantly, you’ll be helping people right here in our community and you can be certain that any item that is not sold in our stores will be recycled in the proper manner,” said McFarlane.

For more information about donating to Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, or to find a location near you, please visit www.GoodwillFingerLakes.com.

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
Goodwill of the Finger Lakes helps thousands of people each year overcome barriers to independence by providing unique training and employment opportunities that empower individuals to achieve self-sufficiency and contribute to their families and communities. Headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., Goodwill of the Finger Lakes encompasses a 20-county territory, including Western, Central, Northern, and the Southern Tier portions of New York State.