Every year, Americans buy about 20 billion pieces of clothing. That’s 68 articles of clothing and seven pairs of shoes for each person. When we’re done with them, they tend to sit in the back of our closets and then eventually get thrown away. The EPA estimates that we throw away about 10 pounds worth of clothing per person per year. Here’s why that’s bad and why you should be thinking about a Red Cross pickup instead.
Throwing Clothes Away Is Bad for the Environment
Almost nothing you can do with your old clothes is a worse choice than throwing them away. When you toss them in the trash they end up at landfills. There, they slowly fall lower in the pile. As they do, they end up deep where there is no oxygen. Without oxygen, even clothes made of natural fibers cannot degrade properly. They let off dangerous greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and pollution. If you donate clothes instead, you’re doing a huge favor to the environment.
Throwing Clothes Away Is Bad For Your Municipality
Your local landfill is managed by your government. As you and the other members of your community fill it up, new problems are created. The old landfill must be covered and new landfill space must be found. Of course, no one in the community is interested in having a landfill anywhere near their home, place of work, or favorite restaurant and shopping center. This creates an untenable situation for local administrations and increases the tax burden for you and everyone else in your community.
Throwing Clothes Away Is Bad For Others
There are so many people who could benefit from your clothing donations. Used clothing donations help the poor and those among us who have the least. They can make it possible for a single mother to clothe her children in quality clothing. They can make it possible for a homeless person to get a nice enough set of clothes to get a job and move up in life. Even those clothes that are not used directly by others still go to benefit your community and the world.
When you arrange a Red Cross pickup, you are donating to the 13th largest charity in the United States. The American Red Cross is giving relief in the form of food, blankets, shelter, and blood to people all around the United States 365 days out of the year. When you donate clothes to Red Cross, some end up directly helping and others are sold to support the mission of the Red Cross nationwide.
Throwing Clothes Away Is Bad for Your Children
Children follow the example set by the adults in their lives. We can tell them with our words whatever we want, but the truth is that they will pay more attention to what we do than to what we say. When they see you concerned about the needs of others and looking for ways to practically help people in need, that communicates to them that they should care about other people and their needs. It sets them up for a lifetime of generosity and helpfulness to others. This is one of the most valuable things we can ever pass on to the next generation.
Donating Your Clothes Is Easier Than You Think
if what’s holding you back is simply the inconvenience of it all, you should know that it’s a lot easier to donate than you might think. For one thing, most charities like the Red Cross will be happy to arrange a pickup. That way you don’t have to do anything more than get your items together and make a phone call.
For another, arranging a Red Cross pickup is a great way to de-clutter your home and make space for more important items in your life. If you have clothes that you have not worn in the last season or clothing that your children have clearly grown out of, don’t just hang onto it. Send it out to do good.
Throwing your clothes away does no good for anyone. Arrange a Red Cross pickup instead and put your clothes to work for yourself and the world.