Where To Donate Clothes Responsibly
Let’s be honest — the cost of clutter is real. And so, after one too many seasons, you got the thought of decluttering your closet and now you’re standing there looking at all those clothes hanging or folded on the shelves wondering… what should I do with all these things I no longer wear?
And that’s where we come in boo...
HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR CLOTHES
Truthfully speaking, the precursor to organizing just about anything in your home is to first declutter. Unfortunately, you can’t jump right into organizing your closet without first identifying what things you want to keep + what things you want to get rid of. If your closet is overflowing or you’re feeling like now is the perfect time to tidy up, we recommend pulling nearly everything out of your closet. Then, categorizing your clothes by activity (i.e. be selective about what you actually wear + only keep the things you have room for.)
While we could write an entire blog on all the steps for how to declutter your clothes, when it comes to the “want to get rid of” parts of your closet make a few piles: sell, donate, and trash.
We always advise selling or donating what you can 1 to 1. Whether you call a friend to see if they have a need for something you no longer want or take a picture + post it on an app like OfferUp, this is the preferred way to declutter + remove things from your home because you know exactly who it’s going to.
But what do you do if nobody wants your clothes? If it’s beyond typical wear + tear, unfortunately it may be trash. But the good news is that you don’t have to jump to toss it into the landfill. There are a few great resources to check beforehand to support recycling textiles that you can no longer wear. A lot of big named brands are recycling textiles which is a good thing + here’s 4 brands who recycle the right way.
If zero waste is something you’re truly striving for + you don’t mind paying to ensure it happens or you seemingly can’t find a good fit to recycle textiles TerraCycle is the way to go because they send you a cardboard box you load up + send back.
I bet right now you’re wondering, why not just donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army or some other local donation dropoff?
THE PROBLEM WITH “JUST DONATING”
While we’re no stranger to these dropoff locations + we won’t knock thrift stores for what they’re doing but simply put — the problem isn’t them — it’s us.
The quantities of donations, especially clothing, that these stores receive simply outweighs the demand. And quite frankly, this makes sense. If you think about, whether you shop online or in-person the possibilities to buy new clothes are endless + more convenient than ever.
And lord knows I love to shop so absolutely no judgement coming from over here but purchasing low quality clothes or “fast fashion” (I’ll save the names of where) only amplifies the problem. There’s actually a fascinating book out called, Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline that talks all about this. She paints such an elegant argument, I’ll leave it to her but essentially what she refers to as chepa fashion doesn’t withstand the first buyer — let alone someone buying second hand.
So, what happens when we all bring everything we no longer want + drop it at the footsteps of these large thrift stores + say, “here you go?”
Based on the buying trends of their clientele they actually keep what they believe will sell + then everything else is exported from the U.S. Yep, you read that correctly.
SOLUTION: DONATE RESPONSIBLY
No, the solution is not to live in a cluttered home *wink* or to hold onto things simply because you now know another reality of donating. The solution is to donate, responsibly.
Find someone you know or can connect with online that may want what you’re giving away. Only put in a donate pile what you feel is quality clothing that someone would actually want to buy second hand. Seek out alternative avenues to donate clothes that may recycle them in unexpected ways — lucky you, below we put together a list of local + national places to consider donating clothes to that may actually “need” what we have.
Consider what you’re buying, do you truly want it, need it or love it?
You’re a hard worker + deserve to be spoiled which is why you should focus on the quality of things you bring into your home (+ what you wear). Not only will you get more enjoyment from them but they’ll last longer + maybe even be given a second or third life down the road when they’re donated to someone else.
WHERE TO DONATE CLOTHES
Free The Girls or The Bra Recyclers for gently used bras + you can mail them in.
Blue Jeans Go Green for denim + shipping is free.
Souls 4 Shoes for shoe ware.
Career Gear for mens business casual clothing + you can mail it in.
Operation Prom specific to formal wear (dresses, tuxedos, evening bags).
Brides Across America specific to wedding dresses will go to a military bride in need.
New Eyes for eyeglasses.
National Brands such as Nike, North Face, Nordstrom, and Patagonia
For Recycling Clothes: Recycling Locator, SMART or Council for Textile Recycling for finding a textile recycling outlet.
Local Churches
Local Shelters
Consignment Shops are a great alternative to selling online + you’ll get a percentage.
We’re here to empower you to make your home the place you never want to leave. And while decluttering your home should be a priority, we also want to help ensure you do it in the most responsible way possible.
Truthfully, thrift stores are great places to donate to + they’re convenient but we recommend calling ahead to see what they’re in need of before simply overwhelming them with things that wont sell in your local community.
So, the next time you’ve got a pile of clothes to donate, seek out friends and family, load them on an app and set the price as free, call your local churches and shelters or even children’s hospitals to ask what they may be in need of.
No matter where you’re digging into the clutter around your home –– remember that nothing is unattainable and that with every bit of physical clutter you remove you’re making room for more love, more laughter + a more clutter-free home.
And p.s. donating is always in style — especially when done thoughtfully.