Does it Really Help if I Donate my Used Clothes?

Did you know that your used clothing donations can help other people? By bringing your clothes to green charities like purple heart donation pick up, you can help them to help veterans with their health, education and family support programs. And by keeping your clothes out of the landfill, you can help the environment.
If, like most Americans, you have a closet full of clothes you never wear, it may be time to clean it out. And by taking your clothes to a charity rather than sending them to the landfill, you’re helping others and helping the environment. Everybody wins.

Can my old clothes really help someone?
The simple answer is yes, your old clothes and used household goods are worth something. Old toys and books can also be recycled and reused. You and your family may have outgrown those clothes, shoes and toys, but they can give a great deal of use and pleasure to others. Household goods like kitchenware, plates, silverware and small kitchen appliances are useful to young people furnishing their first homes, people moving to a new city and many others.
Sometimes people shop in charity thrifts just to be able to support their favorite charities and their work. With the popularity of Antiques Roadshow on television, people are excited about shopping at thrifts. By brining your used clothes and household items to a purple heart donation pick up, you can help them turn your old belongings into cash to support their programs.

What can I donate?
Clothing is the most in demand and also the one thing that nearly all Americans have too much of. Not only does the average American buy twice as many items of clothing as they did 20 years ago, they ailso throw away a lot of used clothing. Each American contributes almost 70 pounds of used clothing and household linens to landfills each year.
Only about 15% of all textiles are recycled, and the remainder end up as municipal waste. In fact textiles make up 5% of all municipal waste. So if you decide to donate your used clothing instead of just throwing it away, you’re making a difference to the environment. It’s easy to decide which items to donate: it’s the ones taking up space in your closet, that you haven’t worn for months. Organization experts say that for people living in a one or two season climate, if you haven’t worn an item of clothing for 6 months or more, it’s time to get rid of it.

What are the best charities to donate to?
The best charities to donate to are those that already have 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code. You will be able to claim the value of your donations of clothing and household items as tax write-offs. When you bring your donations to a center like the purple heart donation pick up, you can ask for a receipt, which will state the approximate value of the clothing and household goods you are dropping off. You should hold on to the receipts as part of your tax documentation.

When you bring your used clothing and household items to a purple heart donation pick up, you’re making a difference to the environment and to other people’s lives. For some large household items and furniture, many wounded veterans charities offer home pick up services as well. Donating your used clothing to a charity is a simple step, and one that will leave a warm glow in your heart.