There are a lot of good reasons to donate your used clothes and household goods rather than just chuck them in the trash. If you’re looking to be convinced, read on:
Do Some Good For Someone Else
There are more reasons to come, but this is the big one. Your charitable clothing donations or household item donations go to benefit people who really need help. One of the biggest reasons to donate is helping disabled veterans. Helping disabled veterans not only benefits those who have served us in the military, but also their families. And when you find a purple heart donation pick up location or disabled veterans donations location, be sure to document the event. Of social media users, 70% say they would take action in response to a story about a friend making a charitable donation. If you’re helping disabled veterans, you might just inspire others to go helping disabled veterans, too.
Give the Environment a Break
Every year, people in the United States send about 10.5 millions tons of old clothes straight to the landfills. There’s no reason for them to sit there. Only 15% of us are recycling our clothing, and yet we’re buying twice as many pieces of clothing each as we did 20 years ago. That’s a huge wasted opportunity–not to mention a huge amount of landfill space–considering that nearly 100% of home textiles and clothes can be recycled.
Give Yourself a Break: A Tax Break
If your used clothes and home goods are in good condition, you can be getting a tax write off for them. A coffee maker, for example, is worth between $4 and $15, and men’s overcoats and suits can be worth as much as $60 in tax write-offs. The only catch is to remember you’ll need a receipt of donation if you wish to claim more than $250 for a donation.
All of us have clothes we aren’t wearing and don’t need. Take a look in your closet, and if you find something you haven’t worn for six months, consider letting it go. Donations of clothing will do more good for others, for the environment, and for your own tax bill than piles of unused clothes cluttering up your closet.