The number of people helping families in need by donating clothing is on the rise! In 2013, individuals gave roughly $2406 billion (70%) to charity, a 4.2% increase from the previous year. 16% of donations in 2013 were given by the education center, and 5% was received from corporate giving.
But what are the benefits of giving charitable clothing donations, instead of saving time by throwing out the things you no longer use?
Donating clothes is good for the environment. Almost 5% of total garbage in landfills consists of clothing or household textiles made of fabrics like cotton, polyester, nylon, and rayon. 5% may not seem like that much, but when you consider that 90% of textile waste is perfectly recyclable, you will wonder why more people aren’t sending their lightly used clothing to people in need. In 2006, used-clothing purchases kept 2.5 billion pounds of fabric out of landfills!
Charitable donations are often tax deductible, so if you spent a lot of money on certain clothing but never wear it, you may save some money on your taxes by sending said clothing to an organization who will distribute it to families in need. To be sure that the charity will get the most use out of your donation, make sure you are donating working items. There should be no rips or stains, and all the necessary pieces should be included. Make sure you wash your clothing before it is donated, too.
Charitable clothing donations are convenient to give! Aside from the obvious benefit of cleaning out closets, dressers, and storage bins, it is easy to give to people in need. Many charities have a donation pick up service, so if you have a large amount to give, you don’t have to worry about stuffing everything into your car. With donation pick up, you put in almost the same amount of effort as throwing things away, but instead you are helping people!
The best benefit of giving charitable clothing donations is that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you help other people. Helping others is a great way to boost your mood, and you will find that you might even like to make it a regular activity. Read more.