It is no secret that the textiles industry is one of the biggest in the world, since everyone needs clothes to wear. This is true in the United States, too, which is one of the biggest markets and producers for textiles ranging from shirts and pants to dresses, shoes, gloves, and coats. Americans buy many billions of dollars’ worth of clothes every year, and some households amass an extensive wardrobe over the years. But sometimes, Americans choose to simply throw away their old clothes and send them to a landfill, or else give them away for recycling, such as for industrial or manufacturing purposes. A more charitable route is to donate clothes to the needy instead, and to donate old clothing is to take part in a vast humanitarian effort that already many Americans take part in. Clothes donations are always happily accepted at a clothing donation pickup site, and organizations such as Red Cross are ready to take on this charity challenge. To donate clothes to Red Cross is to help out those in need, and this can make room in someone’s wardrobe as well as help reduce landfill size.
Current Donations VS Waste
Many Americans choose to donate clothes to Red Cross, but the bad news is that sometimes, old clothes get thrown away instead. In fact, today, textiles today has one of the worst recovery rates of any recyclable material, with only about 15% of old clothes in the United States ending up recycled or donated to causes like Red Cross. Americans buy a lot of clothes and accessories per year, but once they have too many, they often simply discard them, and clothes thrown away like that don’t do anyone any good. Some clothes are recycled as industrial rags or clothing stuffing, but many would argue that to donate clothes to Red Cross instead is a better and more humanitarian option.
Fortunately, there is already a sizeable charitable spirit in the United States today, and this often includes clothing, and many choose to donate clothes to Red Cross to help those in need. This clothing is often sent around the world; in fact, nearly 14.3 million tons of donated American clothes end up helping families and people around the world, from such diverse places as Mexico, India, Bangladesh, central Africa, and more. Many Americans take part in charity; over 70% give to charity of some kind or other, often cash or clothing. Among wealthier donors, the positive message and sentiment is part of the allure; among high net worth donors, 63% say that “giving back to the community” is their chief motivation. To donate clothes to Red Cross is to help curb landfill waste as well as help those in need, and donors may be interested to know that such donations are often tax-deductible, too, and attractive bonus if a person gives away enough clothes. How can this be done?
Choosing the Clothes to Donate
There are some simple strategies a household can use to figure out what clothes to donate, and one of them is the following. The members of a household can first gather each and every last piece of clothing that they own from across the home, and assemble it all into a single, massive pile on the floor. Shirts and pants, dresses, shoes, gloves, hats, coats, and even scarves should all go into this pile, and some households may be surprised by how large this pile ends up being. When clothes are scattered across the home, the grand total can be difficult to gauge. This method helps keep everything on track.
Now that a comprehensive inventory has been formed, the family members may now start picking and sorting through this pile, and they can carefully choose what they keep versus what they set aside for donations. Clothes that are worn out, out of fashion, or the wrong size can be given away, and these clothes can be put into boxes or bags, and now a person can look up local charity drop-off sites and deliver the packaged clothes. Once there, the person can follow any on-site directions and complete their donation. This can help slim down a person’s wardrobe as well as help those in need.
