Friday Five: Where to Donate Your Clothes In 2020
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I don’t know about you — but I’ve needed to downsize my life for a long time. Cleaning out my closets has been on my “list” since the world pressed pause back in March thanks to COVID-19, and I’m determined to cross that off the list (for real) before the end of 2020 for a long time. Do I really still need those jeans that don’t fit? Or old bridesmaid dresses?
Don’t answer that.
Via Giphy
Knowing things are going to a worthy cause — or at the very least, not going to the dump makes the prospect of decluttering my life a life easier (in theory). Did you know around the average American throws away approximately 80 pounds of used clohing each year. 11 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills, and those old jeans and tees don't have a short stay there either. Depending on the material, it could take them anywhere from several weeks to several decades to break down, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide, in the process.
Fortunately, there are simple ways you can ge rid of your old clothes that are more economical and eco-friendly than just throwing them away. How about donating them! It’s better for the planet, and it helps those in need. According to PlanetAid, an organization that collects and recycles used textiles, dropping off a 10-pound bag of clothing can help prevent 30 to 40 pounds of CO2 gases from polluting the atmosphere and save about 14,000 gallons of water. Talk about a win/win!
So in this week’s Friday Five here are some places you can donate your clothes the next time you get on a cleaning kick. Some collect clothes to give directly to people in need, others give back in different ways, like reselling the clothes to raise funds for important causes or sending unsold donations to eco-friendly textile recycling centers. And don’t forget — if you're looking to support your local community, you can also consider donating your clothes to your neighborhood church, school or homeless shelter.
1. American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is one of the oldest and most well-respected humanitarian organizations in the country, providing emergency assistance, disaster relief and disaster preparedness education for millions of people around the world. The non-profit currently has a partnership with GreenDrop, an organization that will take donated clothes and re-sell them to thrift stores to benefit the American Red Cross.
Accepted donations: Almost any kind of gently used clothing that’s in decent and usable condition including T-shirts, shoes, jackets, ties, dresses, sweaters, hats, gloves, handbags, coats, bathing suits, sleepwear, and even formal wear.
How to donate: You can make a donation at a GreenDrop drop-off center in your area, or by scheduling an at-home pick-up.
2. Goodwill
Goodwill is one of the most well-known places to donate used clothes (and tons of other things too!). It has thousands of local organizations nationwide, but it’s also a non-profit aimed at helping others. Revenue from stores goes directly toward job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have barriers that are preventing them from obtaining a job. Goodwill also forwards anything they can’t sell to recycling organizations that will help the items stay out of landfills.
Accepted donations: Goodwill accepts all new and gently used clothing, including shoes and accessories. They also take other household items such as books, furniture, appliances and more.
How to donate: Donations can be dropped off at your local Goodwill stores and donation centers, which you can locate here. Some locations also offer pick-up services for large items that are hard to transport.
3. One Warm Coat
Want to share the warmth during the cold winter months? Donate your spare jackets to One Warm Coat, a non-profit that provides free coats to people in need. The organization has hosted more than 38,000 coat drives and has provided 6.6 million free coats since 1992.
Accepted donations: One Warm Coat accepts new and gently worn coats of any size (women's, men's or children's) that are clean and wearable (i.e., without holes or stains).
How to donate: Donations can be made at an active coat drive near you (typically held in the fall and winter months) or at one of the organization's non-profit partners in your area, which you can locate here. Make sure to contact your location directly to confirm drop-off hours.
4. Dress For Success
If your closet is overflowing with professional clothing, consider donating some pieces to Dress for Success. This international nonprofit works to empower low-income women by providing them with professional clothing as they seek and maintain employment. The organization has helped more than 1.2 million women find jobs and develop their careers since its founding in 1997.
Accepted donations: Dress for Success accepts nearly new, ready-to-wear women's clothing that is work-appropriate and business casual — including suits, dresses, pants, skirts, blazers, medical scrubs, undergarments, and accessories like handbags, closed-toe pumps, and jewelry. All donations must be laundered or dry-cleaned and in good condition. You can find more detailed donation guidelines here.
How to donate: Donations can be dropped off at your nearest affiliate location. Each location has its own hours of operation and specific drop-off days and times, so be sure to call ahead before making a donation.
5. Free the Girls
You don’t need to throw away your old bras! You can donate them to Free the Girls, and help bring economic opportunity to survivors of sex trafficking in places like Uganda, El Salvador and Mozambique. The organization gives all donated bras to women who have escaped human trafficking and then the women have the opportunity to sell the bras in second-hand markets in their communities and earn an income that can support themselves and their families.
Accepted donations: Free the Girls accepts new and gently-used bras of all styles that are in good condition. Find more detailed donation guidelines here.
How to donate: Fill out the donation form on the Free the Girls' website, then drop off donations at a nearby drop-off location. You can only donate up to five bras at a time. If you have more than five bras to donate (or you can't find any drop-off locations near you), you can ship the bras directly to the organization in Indiana.