Did you know that about 700 homeless people die of hypothermia every year? This fact alone is motivation enough for many people to donate clothes like jackets and sweatshirts, as it certainly exemplifies how important charitable donations are, but you may not know that there are many other benefits of clothing donations as well.
Here are a few reasons why clothing donations matter more than you might realize.
Helps the Environment.
If people get gently used clothing instead of new clothes, then manufacturers will make fewer new clothes, which not only saves the resources necessary to create textiles, but also lessens the environmental impact that manufacturers have. Believe it or not, the United States creates 25 billion pounds of textiles on average every year. Yet, only 3.8 billion pounds is recycled every year, which means that 21 billion pounds of textiles wind up in landfills every single year.
Aids Victims of Disaster.
In addition to helping those who can’t afford to clothe themselves, clothing donations also help victims of natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, and tropical storms. In the last 12 years, natural disasters have cost $1.3 trillion in damages, 1.1 million lives, and have affected 2.7 billion people. Though clothing donations might seem like small contributions, they can mean a world of difference to someone whose life was torn asunder by a natural disaster.
Makes Your Life Better.
In addition to the natural, euphoric joy of clothing donations, they can also help make your own life tangibly better. Purging your home of unwanted and unnecessary clothes leads to a more stress-free environment. Clutter is both a fire hazard and a drain on emotional health. Clearing out closets, basements, and drawers is extremely cathartic, and leads to a better sense of well-being.
These are just a few of the benefits of clothing donations. They help the environment, disaster victims, and those making the donations. Basically, clothing donations help everyone out. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
