The fact is that many of us have clothes that we neither want or need. In fact, an estimated 12 million Americans throw out unwanted clothes and textiles each year. It’s little wonder why. Clothes are often “impulse buys”. That is, we tend to buy them without thinking, especially if we imagine that what we’re buying is a good deal. Often, we buy clothes not only for ourselves but as gifts for others — regardless of whether or not they’ll actually be good fits, or even conform to the recipient’s taste. We easily outgrow clothes, whether due to weight fluctuation or the natural growth that occurs over years. Another reason why people toss clothes out is that they simply aren’t in fashion anymore. Trends change seasonally — in a matter of months, something that was once in is now “out”. For these reasons among others, clothes will end up in the back of our closets, unwanted and wasted. But why throw out clothes when you could donate them? Depending on what charity you choose, charity donations aren’t just about any good cause — they can also become a form of military donations. Let’s look into the many reasons why you may want to donate your clothes rather than throwing them away.
1. Donated Clothes Can Be Military Donations
Say you’re patriotic, and want to help a wounded veteran and his family. By doing something as simple as donating your clothes, you can do just that. Certain charities turn the proceeds of their sales into military donations. These military donations go on to help wounded veterans and their families get by. There is a huge need for these sorts of donations in this day and age. Many veterans are coming home disabled or traumatized, and before and after they return their families can find it very difficult to make end’s meet. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans between ages 18 and 24 was 20.4% in 2012. This is in part due to the fact that many are physically disabled coming home, and can’t work a variety of jobs. However, the fact is that this isn’t the only reason why many veterans can’t work. They also tend to suffer from traumas such as PTSD. Sufferers of PSTD find it difficult to function, or even live their daily lives. By making a charitable donation as seemingly simple as clothing, you can help a veteran get back to his or her normal life.
2. Clothing Donations Are Eco-Friendly
The fact is that when you throw clothing out, it’s just like throwing out any other kind of environmentally-harmful trash. Each day, the average person generates about four and a half pounds of trash — and one ton of general waste each year. In 2011 alone, about 90% of clothes and textiles thrown out in America could have been reused or recycled. By donating clothes to charity rather than throwing it out, you’re taking part in a form of recycling. Recycling clothes means that you’re avoiding a lot of waste. There’s no point in throwing your clothes away when you could donate them to charity. Unless, of course, you’re worried about the hassle. Maybe you are — you wouldn’t be alone. But as you’ll see below, you don’t have to necessarily go to a lot of trouble to donate your clothes to charity.
3. Charitable Donations Are Easier To Make Than Ever
A big reason why many people have decided against donating clothes to charity is that it seems like a hassle. Bagging up pounds and pounds of heavy clothes and driving them to a charity may seem tedious. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Many charities now offer donation pick-ups. In a donation pick-up, a volunteer or employee from the charity of your choice will come and pick up the clothes you want to donate. All you have to do is bag them and have them ready to go!
