Why Donating & Buying Used is the Way to Go

Think of how many times you purchased an item and ended up getting rid of it either by tossing it out, selling it, or donating it. The majority of people throw out items that could be put to good use in someone else’s hands or home. Sometimes, our pile of stuff we’ve been wanting to sell or donate sits and sits, and accumulates more items.

Donating these items offers an opportunity for others to find new treasure in your unwanted items. When looking for places to donate, try locating a non-profit establishment such as Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity. Yes – these donated items do get sold, but they get sold at a reasonable price that’s affordable. We are talking items like: clothes that no longer fit, housewares such as pans or tea kettles or coffee tables. There are also bins that are popping up on sidewalks and in parking lots of some shopping centers – these bins are a great way to recycle clothing as well.

Americans send 10.5 million tons of clothing to landfills every year. Donating items such as clothing, also creates an opportunity for you! You’re not just donating, you are reusing and recycling. This opportunity creates the capability for your clothing to be worn second hand, cut down and used as industrial rags, or ground down and reprocessed.

Americans now buy five times as much clothing as they did in 1980, according to Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain, a textile-recycling company. And between 1999 and 2009, the volume of textile trash rose by 40 percent. Particularly due to the advent of cheap, disposable clothing, charities have seen themselves transformed into dumps that accept clothes of varying condition in ever-increasing volumes

 A good way to reduce waste is to buy less and buy used. Buying used items found at garage sales, second hand stores, consignment stores, ebay, or even re-selling apps is an awesome way to contribute to our ever-growing waste issue. When we buy things, we accumulate more trash; trash from packaging and trash when we’ve decided the item is no longer useful to us. Start shopping smart, search second hand websites, second hand stores, or garage sales for items you may need, they’re usually cheaper and usually just as useful as buying brand new.

To sum it up, here are 5 benefits to donating and buying used:

1. Benefits the Environment - clothes and items are re-used AGAIN. When it's too "used up" it can be recycled into other textiles and be used for other items. 

2. Benefits your Wallet - you can find some pretty awesome used goods for an extremely reasonable price. From designer items, to your everyday basics. Online search for some upcycled clothing stores near you, or check out new apps - there are so many that keep popping up. 

3. Benefits the Economy - you're helping the economy by supporting a discount store or donation plant - this is because the person giving the item is not losing out on anything by donating - they are giving something away that they don't need or no longer want. 

4. Benefits the Less Fortunate - people with smaller incomes can afford to pay for everyday basics (like clothes, kitchenware, etc) on their own. People with lower incomes can save money by shopping used, VS. shopping at places like Nordstroms or Macy's. 

5. Benefits the Community - you are creating affordable options for your community, supporting jobs of local thrift stores and donation centers, and supporting neighbors and peers who shop these places. 

Donating not only feels good, but does a lot a good! 

Related Posts:

10 Questions to Help You Declutter

Items to Remove From Your Home

The Importance of the 3 R's

Sources: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/07/where-does-discarded-clothing-go/374613/

https://aeclothing.net/5-benefits-of-buying-second-hand-clothes/

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