By Eva Hu
Annually, the US generates around 25 billion pounds of textiles, approximating to 82 pounds per citizen. These textiles include clothes, shoes, accessories, towels, etc, and while not all are thrown away, an overwhelming 85% of these textiles, around 21 billion pounds, are sent to the landfill. It doesn’t just stop here, as the figure continues to increase each year.
There is a simple solution to this, one that is very simple by effective: donating your used clothes, shoes, or towels at a nearby donation center. Doing so will only benefit the environment, but also help those in need, especially during these difficult times. Places you can donate old clothes and shoes include thrift stores, collection centers, local homeless shelters, etc.
However before you donate, there are a few steps you should follow to ensure that your donations will be accepted.
Only donate items that are either new or gently used; items that have missing pieces or holes can be recycled.
Wash the items thoroughly
Contact charities to verify that they will accept your donations.
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