Every year, Americans make some type of charitable donation. Whether it’s the gift of their time, income, or household items, it appears that 95.4% of the population believes in the importance of charitable giving.
When people donate, rather than throw away, their household items and clothing, they are also making a significant contribution to the environment. Every year, it is estimated that Americans only recycle or donate 15% of their clothing; the remainder, approximately 10.5 million tons, ends up in landfills.
Less than half of the used clothing that is recycled is worn again. Approximately 30% is used for industrial rags, and 20% is used for stuffing coaches and providing insulation for homes. However, even though many Americans do recycle, it is estimated that the average person in the United States creates 82 pounds of textile waste every year.
On an annual basis, the Council for Textile Recycling indicates that 25 billion pounds of new textiles are created. Unfortunately, roughly 85% of that amount makes its way into landfills. The remaining 15% is donated to charitable organizations that have second-hand stores to support the work that they do.
When you’re looking for charities that will pick up donations, GreenDrop does so on behalf of The Military Order of the Purple Heart. If you’re not familiar with The Purple Heart, it is a military decoration awarded to individuals that have been wounded or killed while serving in the United States military. Furthermore, this award, which is given in the name of the President, has been bestowed upon an estimated 1.7 million soldiers.
When you donate clothes or household items to The Military Order of the Purple Heart, you are assisting them in their support of military veterans and their families. This organization provides health, education, and family support programs to all veterans. Their efforts are also focused on preserving the environment by reselling or recycling the charitable donations that they receive.
Charities that will pick up donations make it simple and convenient for you to participate in this process. After you collect the items that you want to donate, all you need to do is place a call to schedule a pick up.
