Many families have their favorite charities that they like to donate to. Some chose a specific charity because they know that the clothing and home items that they donate will be distributed to the neighboring community. Others select veterans clothing donations sites because they know that the families of former service men and women will be the beneficiaries. Donations of clothing and other household items can benefit many groups, but before that can happen you have to make the decision to get rid of some of the things that are cluttering your life.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where it often seems like having the most of things is how you win. We are a society that has more than almost everything of what we need. In fact, today’s average American purchases nearly twice as many pieces of clothing as Americans bought 20 years ago. We have closets of clothes, cupboards of belongings, and attics of memories, but if we keep everything that we ever purchase we are just weighing ourselves down. Many of the people who are enjoying life the most are the people who have finally realized that the fullest closets do not equal the fullest lives.
In addition to making your life less cluttered, making donations of clothing and other useable household items to people in need also provides tax deductions. From a $60 write off for a man’s suit to a $4 write off for a used coffee maker, people who make regular donations also keep track of these records for their end of the year tax returns. Any donation over $250 does, however, does require a receipt if you want to include it on a tax return.
In addition to helping others and providing tax breaks, donating and recycling used clothing is also good for the environment. Nearly 100% of household textiles and clothing can be recycled, even if it is not in good enough condition to wear or be used. Additionally, recycling clothing and other textiles can keep these materials out of already overflowing landfills. Unfortunately, since Americans only donate or recycle 15% of their clothing, an unnecessary 10.5 million tons of clothing end up in these crowded landfills.
Whether you decide that helping military families is your priority or assisting people in your own neighborhood is your passion, making regular donations of clothing is good for you, for others, and for the environment. Nearly 5 billion pounds of clothing are donated every year. Are you contributing to this total, or are you adding to the garbage?
