9 Reasons to Make Used Clothing Donations

If you are like most people in the United States, you like the idea of giving back to your community. The problem is that you may think you do not have much to offer because you cannot afford to donate cash and you do not have the time to volunteer. There is good news! Most people have used clothing that they are never going to wear. Today, we but at least twice as many clothing items as we did two decades ago. Making used clothing donations to charity can make a big difference in other people’s lives. Here are some good things you do when you donate clothes to charity:

1. You help disaster victims. The United States has the most volatile weather on the planet. We have blizzards, hurricanes and tornados. In addition to that, we have wildfires and earthquakes. When people lose their homes to disasters they also often lose everything but the clothes on their backs. While some organizations only want cash, others accept used clothing donations. These can be used almost immediately to help people in need.
2. You help low-income families. Many low-income people rely on the prices at the local consignment shops to be low so that they can buy the clothing their family needs. This is often the only place they can afford to buy clothes for themselves and their children.
3. You help non-profits keep their doors open. Many non-profit organizations take the used clothing donations and sell them in their shops. This can be a main source of funding for the charity that will keep its doors open and their programs going.
4. You get a cleaner closet. Most people around the country have clothes in their closets that are doing nothing but taking up space. The organization and fashion expert, Tim Gunn, likes to remind people to get rid of clothing they have not worn for a full season. There may be a sentimental reason to keep a prom or wedding dress but that itchy turtle neck? If you are not going to wear it, donate it so someone else can.
5. You lower your tax bill. The Internal Revenue Service looks at used clothing donations the very same way it looks at cash donations. When you make clothes donations to charity organizations, make sure you get receipts. If your items are worth $500 or more, you will need to submit this receipt with your tax forms.
6. You send less trash to landfills. Every year, the typical person in the United States will throw away about 70 pounds of textile goods such as linens and clothing. If you make used clothing donations instead, even if the items cannot be worn, the material can be recycled and you save these things from taking up space in a landfill. The less you send to a landfill, the better. The less we send to landfills, the less space they take up.
7. You lower your carbon footprint. When biodegradable materials find themselves in a landfill, they are put in a pile with all of the rest of the trash. When it is in such a pile, its access to oxygen is limited. When it begins to break down, rather than using an aerobic process, the process that breaks down these materials is anaerobic. The result is the release of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. You can reduce your carbon footprint by sending your clothing to charities and not to landfills.
8. You set a good example. People are often inspired by the good (and bad) deeds they see being done all around them. When you make used clothing donations, people will see that and be inspired to do good things as well.
9. You improve your karma. There has been a lot of research done on what happens when people do good things for each other. It has been found, time and time again, that when you donate your stuff, your money or your time, you will get something back. As Earl from “My Name Is Earl” says, “Do good things and good things happen.”

Americans are generous people. We like to help each other. Making used clothing donations is one way we can do a lot of good for many people with one very simple action.