Donating Clothing
When donating clothing there are a few considerations necessary. It is important to donate clothing in a way that is beneficial to others and the earth.
First, you should consider what the donation center needs at the moment. When researching local centers for clothing donation sometimes the website may have information about what they need donated at the moment. After seeing if this is the case it may be even more useful to reach out to the center directly to make sure that information is current. Becoming fully informed on what centers need helps to ensure that your clothes are helpful and find a new home. Often times people want to donate clothes, but do not reach out to the donation center first because they want to get rid of clothes as quick as possible, but reaching out improves the experience for both parties. If you are donating clothing to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or another national facility this advice does not apply.
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Next, you should look into where the clothing goes after donation. Some organizations donate clothing locally, others with send clothing to international locations or across the country. In these cases, you should just consider where you want your clothes to go. Most donations areas with a city name in the title, distribute the donations locally. For example, a “Cleveland” women’s shelter will keep the clothing in Cleveland. An example of an international donation organization is PlanetAid. They have clothing collection locations all over the United States. The donations either go to textile recycling, or overseas to be sold in developing countries. If this is the type of donation you wish to make PlanetAid is a great option.
Donating to Goodwill or Salvation Army often proves to be the most appealing option for many people. They are easy organizations to donate to. Many may wonder which organization they should chose. Although both will increase the lifespan of your clothes, Goodwill is categorized as a non-profit, and Salvation Army is a charity. Therefore, your donations, both clothing and money, to Salvation Army go directly to those in need of the donations. Goodwill has executives who earn money from purchases and donations. So it may be beneficial to donate to Salvation Army over Goodwill.
Dress For Success is another great organization to make clothing donations to. They provide business clothing to help low-income women advance professionally. This specific mission makes donating very purposeful. The specificity also helps you ensure that the clothes you donate will be helpful to the organization. Moreover, if you have extra business clothes or professional accessories, consider donating to Dress For Success. If you live in Ohio, there are locations in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati.
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Finally, a very important aspect of clothing donation to consider is whether you should donate the item to be resold/distributed, or send the clothes to a textile recycling organization. Once again, PlanetAid is a nationwide option that recycles textiles. However, a quick Google search can provide you with many organizations in your area that provide local textile recycling services. When making the decision of what type of donation fits the clothing you are donating, consider the condition the item is in. If the item of clothing is falling apart or discolored, textile recycling may be the better choice. Clothing that is resold/distributed should be in a wearable condition. Moreover, if you have clothes that you believe are in too poor of a condition to wear, consider bringing the fabric to a textile recycling facility.
Overall, it helps to do research on how you plan to donate your clothing. Many people believe that any form of donation they make is perfect, but it is ideal to make sure your donations align with the needs of the organization you are donating to. In order to do that, a little extra googling may be necessary, and possibly a further drive. But, readers should not be discouraged from donating because donating in a way that benefits all parties will maximize how helpful their donations are.
