This has been a difficult year for many families. From areas that have been ravaged by fires to entire states that have been flooded, there are many who are looking for the hope that they need to make sure they are ready to face another day. Fortunately, there are Red Cross clothes donation centers and other locations that serve those in need. It is also fortunate that as many as 70% of people in the U.S. who give to charity each year. If you are one of those people who have given of yourself and made sure that you have done your part then you know the satisfaction those gifts can provide, both to you and the people who are on the receiving end.
Many times, however, there is still more that you can do. Especially when it comes to clothing and textiles, there are a number of ways that many Americans can make an impact. Most of us realize, for instance, that there are places like Red Cross clothes donation centers where we can take gently used clothing that we no longer where. There are also, however, places where you can take clothing items and textiles that are not wearable any more. In fact, many of the same places that accept wearable items will also find a way to recycle textiles that are no longer viable clothing items.
Are You Doing Everything You Can to Make Sure That Your Old Textiles Stay Out of a Landfill?
The latest research indicates that Americans consume nearly 20 billion garments a year. That is an average of 68 garments and seven pairs of shoes per person or more than one piece of clothing purchased every week. And while all of these purchases may help the economy, there is a problem if these items are not given to a Red Cross donation center at a later date. Too often, in fact, many Americans simply throw items away that could have been recycled for another purpose. Did you know, for instance, that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that Americans throw away an average of 10 pounds of clothes per person every year?
Clothing donation centers have resources that can help recycle all kinds of textiles and make sure that they stay out of our landfills that are already too crowded. In fact, these recycling efforts often involve companies that hire workers who otherwise might not be able to find a good job. Internationally, more than 14.3 million tons of donated American textileshelp clothe people and families around the world, but there are also many people who find jobs in industries that work with fabrics and textiles that can be recycled.
The next time that you decide to donate clothes remember that you can also find a better home for your unwearable or unusable textiles as well. Red Cross clothes donation centers serve as the first step in making sure that we are making our planet more sustainable.
