Almost everyone knows that donating clothing to charity organizations means keeping fabrics out of the world’s landfills. Clothing is one of the easiest materials to recycle: an estimated 99% of the textiles in United States landfills could be salvaged. Yet old clothing accounts for 5% of all waste in landfills, and the average American throws away 68 pounds of clothing per year.
However, giving used clothing donations to charity can offset the negative environmental impact of the clothing waste that piles up year after year. Not only do clothing donations help the environment by limiting trash, but they also go to a variety of different causes. If you’re wondering how your clothing donations can help others, take a look at this list of potential uses for used clothing donations:
Using It to Help Children and Adults in Need
One of the biggest goals charities have when collecting clothing donations is helping families in need. By providing clothing for adults and children, families living in poverty have one less expense to worry about.
Selling It at Thrift Stores
The used clothing donations that aren’t given to needy families are turned over to secondhand stores approximately 20% of the time. Oftentimes, these thrift stores use their proceeds to help needy families or other specific populations in your community. If you don’t have anything to donate, purchasing clothing or other items at a secondhand store instead of buying new is a great way to help your community — and recycle, reduce, and reuse, too!
Breaking It Down for Recycling
Finally, modern technology has also given us the ability to recycle clothing by breaking it down to its smallest fibers and creating something new. Recently, Swedish scientists developed a method to recycle cotton, creating the world’s first 100% recycled dress. The practice of recycling clothing that hasn’t been sold or donated is growing, and it’s helping to save our environment. When we create fewer new materials and reuse old ones, we can better conserve our planet’s resources.
How have you taken a stand against trashing clothing? Tell us about how you prefer to donate in the comments.
