What do you do with that old sweater that your grandmother gave you, the one that you wore once just so she could see it on you, but you had absolutely nowhere else to wear it? Or the jeans you have finally admitted to yourself that you are okay not fitting into? Or the T-shirt from that one event? Maybe you pass them off to someone else, or get creative and make something from them. But hopefully you’re not just tossing them out. Because there are plenty of places that will accept them as donations, and those are much better places for your old threads than the landfill.
Why consider organizations that accept clothing donations?
There are plenty of reasons to find organizations that accept clothing donations in your area.
- Making it easy for you
Everyone has things to get rid of. If someone else can use it, donating is the perfect solution! In fact, there are many charities that pick up donations, so you don’t even have to haul it anywhere past your front door. The convenience of it all leaves you with no excuse, especially if you were just going to have the garbage truck pick it up anyway. Send your old loved clothes to a better destination. - Clothing donation industry
Just in the United States, the textile recycling industry provides right around 17,000 job opportunities. Sometimes these organizations that accept clothing donations provide jobs to those who couldn’t otherwise find work. Creating local jobs not only helps the individuals looking for work, but it also strengthens the community as well. - Helping families in need
There are families in every community that have it a little bit harder than the rest, at least financially. Some parents can barely afford to go school shopping for their children. Donation centers typically offer greatly discounted prices, and in some cases might even offer the clothes and goods for free. Around 80% of clothing that is donated in the U.S. is used for funding the charity organizations or donating directly to the needy. Taking the time to donate things you will no longer use might make all the difference in the world to someone else. - Saving the earth
Our landfills on this beautiful planet are growing by astronomical proportions. We are a people of waste, and we have to get it under control soon if we want our species to continue to live happily and healthily here. Approximately 90% of clothing and other textiles that were discarded into the garbage in 2011 in the U.S. could have been, and should have been passed on to be reused or recycled. One big thing we can do is to avoid contributing to the landfills whenever and wherever possible. A great way to do this is to pass on what others can use or wear instead of tossing it out.
Don’t send your unwanted wardrobe to the landfill. Let your old clothes find happy new homes!
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