ASHTABULA — The hillside behind Goodwill Industries of Ashtabula Inc. was filled with heavy blue plastic tarps being tossed by Friday’s lake breeze. The shrink-wrap tarps from boats and nursery plastic covers are being recycled in the GIA warehouse, says Jill Oliver, operations manager.

It’s part of a recent contract with partners, Positivity! in Columbus and Mondo Polymar Technologies in Reno, Ohio, for recycling the plastic materials. GIA employees work taking tape string, eyelets and other metal pieces off the tarps before they are loaded in the baling equipment.

“Positivity! got us the contract with the plastics recycling company. The tarps come from marinas then our employees get it all baled up for shipment to Mondo Polymar,” Oliver explained.

Each of the bales weigh 1,700 pounds. Donated clothing not sold in the organization’s stores also are baled up, then shipped to Third World counties or companies wanting things like parts of old purses and even buttons that are discarded.

Friday was a busy day at the main Ashtabula hub of GIA with a public open house celebration. For 73 years, GIA has been in business as a non-profit organization changing lives, providing jobs, helping people learn new job skills and aiding the handicapped. GIA operates stores in northeast Ohio counties and northwest Pennsylvania, Oliver said.

“Some of the old clothing not suitable for store sales is cut into different rag sizes. Companies buy the rags for their uses. We recycle just about everything we get donated in one shape or another,” Oliver said.

Two employed adults were working at the rag making section in the warehouse as public tours were given in the afternoon. Hundreds of people flowed into the Harbor District headquarters store and warehouse complex to see Goodwill Industries of Ashtabula County Inc. operations or find a bargain.

“We’ve been into the recycling business for some time. Little goes to a landfill. We do needs assessments in the community to see what consumers and company clients may want from us. We recruit contracts all the time and if people call us we see what we can do to help. It all provides jobs or job-training skills for people,” said Oliver, who’s been with the agency for 15 years.

“I like what I do here. It’s wonderful to see people’s lives changed through our programs. I also serve as a volunteer with Suit Yourself, which has an outlet here in the city. We help provide clothing to women interviewing for their first job. The Salvation Army gives us space above their downtown Ashtabula store. We are based in Lake County,” Oliver said.

Doreen Costello, director of finance and contracts for GIA, explained that the non-profit agency has service contracts with the State of Ohio Office of Procurement for employees. “We take care of the rest stops on Route 11 and Route 90 in Ashtabula and Lake counties for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

“We also do custodial and lawn care service work for area yacht clubs, East Ohio Gas and Ohio American Water Co. In addition we do packaging and mailing service type jobs for companies. We are expanding with jobs for people,” Costello said.

For information on services available with GIA call Costello at 440-964-3565 or go to their updated Web site: www.ashtabulagoodwill.org.