Treasure hunters wade through bins of clothing at Goodwill’s Taft Outlet location, searching for hidden gems among items priced by the pound.
This popular “bins” phenomenon, widely shared on TikTok, represents just the beginning of an extensive global recycling network.
“You never know what you’re going to find here. That’s part of the fun,” Angela Mongiovi, Aftermarket Manager at Goodwill Industries of Central Florida said while surveying the busy floor where shoppers - many of them resellers - carefully sort through large containers of clothing.
The scene resembles a well-choreographed dance. Staff announce rotation times, shoppers line up, and new bins roll out filled with fresh possibilities. Each item represents a second chance, a last opportunity before entering Goodwill’s innovative aftermarket system.
Behind the retail floor, an industrial ballet unfolds. Massive balers run day and night, compressing unsold textiles into 850-950 pound blocks. The constant beeping of machinery provides a soundtrack to this lesser-known side of the thrift industry.
“This next step here is this will be sold to vendors outside of Goodwill,” Mongiovi explains, gesturing to rows of compressed clothing bales. “It takes about 45 of these to fill a load - about 42,000 pounds goes into one truck.”
These bales travel to Central America, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, where items find new lives through resale or recycling. Even single shoes find purpose, either resold internationally or broken down for components like rubber soles and leather.
The scale of the operation reveals sobering statistics about consumption. Sixty-five percent of clothing gets discarded within 12 months of purchase, according to the Public Interest Network. The Environmental Protection Agency reports 85% - or 11 million tons - of textiles end up in landfills annually.
“I would say this brings some awareness to our own habits,” Mongiovi said, surrounded by towers of baled clothing. Goodwill’s aftermarket operation has diverted approximately 50 million pounds of clothing and household items from area landfills.
Revenue from this global textile trade powers Goodwill’s community programs. Dr. Bahiyyah Maroon, Vice President of Mission Impact, oversees initiatives that provide job training and financial coaching to over 2,500 Central Florida residents yearly.
“Every donation creates opportunities in the lives of your neighbors,” Maroon said. “At Goodwill, that revenue goes directly back into the community.”
While not a perfect solution to fast fashion’s environmental impact, the operation extends the lifecycle of discarded clothing.
“I keep saying ‘life’ because that’s really what it is,” Mongiovi said. “Instead of ending up in a landfill, this is going on to somebody else who has a need.”
The treasure hunt at Goodwill’s bins might start with shoppers seeking personal finds, but it ends with a global impact, transforming discarded clothing into community opportunities and environmental solutions.