[UPDATED for 2025]
Did you know that in addition to being a social service organization, A Wider Circle also works to build a sustainable future for our region and planet?
Here are 5 ways we worked to protect our climate in 2024:
1. Diverting 2.7 MILLION POUNDS of items from landfills
In 2024, with help from donors and partners in our community, A Wider Circle diverted a total of 2.7 million pounds of furniture, home goods, baby items, and clothing from landfills.
By redistributing and recycling these items, we reduced our community’s carbon footprint, preventing 4,621 metric tons of carbon dioxide — or the annual emissions from 1,078 gasoline-powered cars — from entering the atmosphere. This is equivalent to planting 76,409 trees!
2. Redistributing over 61,000 pieces of furniture and boxes of household items
The items we diverted from landfills in 2024 included 61,132 pieces of furniture and boxes of household items. It would take at least 90 garbage trucks to hold all of these donated items.
Many of these were redistributed to local families in need via our Essential Support program, while items we couldn’t pass along through our programming were shared with partner organizations across the region who could put them to good use.
3. Saving 162,938 pounds of clothing
The 2.7 million pounds of items diverted from landfills last year included 162,938 pounds of clothing and textiles. By keeping all of this clothing from the landfill, we prevented 1,848 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions — equal to the emissions from charging almost 150 million smartphones!
4. Finding homes for 21,000+ pieces of hotel and dorm furniture
Included in the donated furniture we received last year were 21,296 pieces of hotel and dorm room furniture. Very few organizations across the country are able to take in this quantity of donated furniture, but our ability to accept these donations in bulk saved these items from the landfill. The emissions saved are equivalent to burning just over 1 million pounds — or 5 railcars’ worth — of coal.
5. 2,507 mattresses redistributed, and another 1,764 recycled!
In addition to redistributing 2,507 dignity-condition mattresses to families in need in 2023, our partners at TurboHaul helped us fully recycle 1,764 mattresses that failed to meet our dignity standard due to stains or damage.
We have benefited from this partnership for the past 4 years — before that, soiled mattresses were transported to the transfer station, with a final destination of the landfill.
None of these sustainable practices would be possible without support from neighbors like you. Thank you for helping us reduce our collective carbon footprint.
Happy Earth Day!
