‘It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.’ Mother Theresa. Since time immemorial, we’ve donated unwanted items to the less fortunate. Giving is a form of receiving, in this case it’s also a way to be sustainable!
1. Donate to a trusted institution that will get your clothes into the right hands.
International Institutions like Salvation Army, Oxfam have well established processes and channels to give your clothes a second life. Depending on where you live, established local clothing drives and similar charitable organisations might accept your preloved items.
TIP: Be sensitive to giving the right sort of clothes to the right organisations. Make sure your items are pre-sorted and clean to ensure these charitable institutions can save time while sifting through the heaps of clothes they receive.
LEARN MORE: Here’s an outlook on how developing nations perceive your preloved clothing: Developing Nations Perspective on Second Hand Clothing.
2. Donate to a thrift store that sells for a noble cause.
Thrift Stores like Goodwill and Red Cross transform their donated goods into aid for the less privilege. You can not only donate your clothes in thrift stores, but also buy from them because proceeds are also often donated to the less privileged.
TIP: Your clothes could spark hope and make a difference in someone else’s life. Instead of hoarding them, hug them goodbye and set them free!
LEARN MORE: Check out our article on: Getting ‘Thrifty’: A Guide to Loving and Supporting Thrift Shopping.
3. Donate to a local charity and contribute to your own neighbourhood.
Your clothes don’t have to travel far to spark impact! You could donate your clothes to a local charity to contribute to a cause.
TIP: Take initiative and plan a drive to encourage your neighbours to come together and donate items to local charities.
LEARN MORE: Check this article out to learn more about your pre-loved impact: What is Pre-loved, Second-Hand Clothing and Why is it Important?
4. Donate unusable garments to recycling centers.
Not all of our pre loved are shareable. Especially the worn-out ones. Instead of throwing these away, you could send them to recycling centres so they could be transformed into something of value instead of a wasted resource.
TIP: Fashion Brands like Nike, H&M, Zara collect preloved items for recycling.
LEARN MORE: Check out this article to see what happens if we are not conscious of how we dispose our pre-loved: Where do our old garments go?
5. Donate directly to individuals who are less fortunate than you.
Not everyone can afford to buy fashion items. Donating clothes to the less fortunate is very rewarding because you can see the social impact that you are making. Make someone’s (and your own) day by sharing your pre-loved clothes with a beneficiary who will cherish them.
TIP:Know that you are not only making someone happy, but also saving our environment!
LEARN MORE: Check out this article to learn how discarded pre-loved clothing is causing global warming: Collossal Environmental Damage Caused by Discarded Fabrics.