It’s no exaggeration to say that Americans love to give to charity, as just over 95% of Americans participate at some level of charitable giving. From veterans charities, to charities that provide disaster relief, there are literally dozens if not hundreds of charities across the country that benefit from annual donations. That being said, charitable donations don’t have to be monetary in nature, you can also donate gently used clothing items, or make houseware donations, to veterans charities or whichever charity interests you the most. There are several important reasons to donate your gently used clothing items to charity and this article will be taking a look at a few of them.
- Donating Clothes Keeps Excess Waste Out of the Landfill: One reason to make clothing donations to charity is because your donations will help keep excess waste out of the landfill. Currently, Americans only recycle or donate about 15% of their used clothing, and the rest-about 10.5 million tons a year-goes into the landfill, which gives textiles one of the poorest recycling rates of any reusable material. It’s true that not every clothing item can be donated, but if Americans raised the percentage of clothing items donated or recycled to just 50%, that difference alone would keep several million additional tons of clothing and textiles out of the landfill, which would be a help to the environment since too much is being thrown away each year already.
- Your Donations Go to Charities That Help People in Need: Another reason to donate gently used clothing to veterans charities or whichever charity you like to sponsor, is that your donations will go to help people in need. Charities that accept used clothing donations typically turn around and see that your donations are made available to those in need of clothing, from those in need due to personal circumstances to those who lost everything because of a natural disaster and have to start over again. You can donate your clothing with the satisfying knowledge that your used clothing will be put to good use by someone who really needs it.
- Donating Clothes Can Open Up Valuable Space in Your Closet: And finally, a third reason to donate your gently used clothing items is because doing so can open up space in your closet and dressers. Today, Americans own more clothing per person than ever before. For context, in 1930 the average American woman owned nine outfits total. Today,almost 100 years later, that figure is 30 outfits. All this clothing takes up a lot of space and can easily clutter closets and storage spaces. By donating the clothing you no longer need or use, you can free up space in your closet and make it easier to organize the clothing you do need on a daily basis.
In conclusion, there are several reasons to donate your gently used clothing items to charity. These reasons include keeping excess waste out of the landfill, giving to charities that help people in need, and opening up valuable space in your closet. These are just a few of the reasons why you should donate your used clothing to charity.
