Declutter, Donate, Recycle, Learn To Consume Less

In an effort to adopt a more minimalistic lifestyle that includes an anti-consumerist approach to the way that I buy and live, the curb in front of my house is loaded up with boxes and bags of clothing, shoes, books, and household items. A truck will be by soon to pick up the items from an organization that distributes them to those in need. Because I spent much of the weekend gathering up this overabundance of stuff that we have acquired, the topic of consumption and recycling goods to those who need them has been on my mind.

Did you know that in the United States, we throw out an average of 68 pounds of wardrobe excess each year? According to Deborah Mitchell, Environmental Protection's Senior Editor, "Americans discard two quadrillion pounds (that's a two with fifteen zeroes) of used clothing and textiles into the landfills each year." That means that we are buying so much, that our personal storage spaces and our environmental storage spaces can't even accommodate the amounts we are purchasing. The water and energy that goes into manufacturing our goods in the first place is a major concern in regards to the ecological problems we currently face. Of course, taming the consumption beast is the best way to curtail this problem, but what do we do with what we already have?

Assuming that the clothing and items you are ready to let go of are in clean, usable condition, there are many ways that you can help others, while opening up spaces in your closets and cupboards that you forgot existed.

1. Donate: There are many organizations that need your items. Companies like The Salvation Army or Goodwill are always viable options.  You can also search for local charities in your area that need your goods.  Many will pick up directly. Some will ask that you drop them off at their designated locations.

thredUP.com is an online consignment store offering to buy your clothing and sell gently used clothing online. They are the world’s largest online secondhand shopping destination with thousands of like-new styles from your favorite brands at up to 90% off estimated retail. ThredUP makes sure every single one of their 15K new arrivals added to the site is 100% authentic and in such good shape that anyone could mistake them as new. No knockoffs —just knockoff prices.

Dress For Success helps women searching for economic independence acquire professional attire to help them prepare to enter the workforce

Freecycle works to "build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community" and happily accepts clothing and other donations.

Freesharing is similar to Freecycle and a great option in recycling items you no longer need.

Visit local shelters and see what items they are currently in need of.

Soles4Souls helps people all over the world receive greatly needed shoes.

Planet Aid has shoe and clothing drop boxes all over the US. To search for one close to you, visit their site and find out where you can deposit items.

2. Sell: You can always look into selling clothing, household items, etc. on eBay if they are in good condition. Buyers look carefully at photos and will expect careful disclosures of the condition of your items, so be prepared to put together concise ads for your listings. Garage sales are another option if you have time on a Saturday to organize and sell what you are ready to part with. 

3. Recycle: If the clothing you no longer need is not re-wearable, you might want to consider looking for a textile recycler before you stuff it into trash cans. Wearable Collections in NYC is a great company that collects clothing, recycles, sells and donates the money raised to charity.

I know from personal experience that breaking the buy-buy-buy habit is tricky. We are inundated with advertisements that reaffirm that we want more and need more from early ages. Acquiring "stuff" almost becomes a measurement of success and before you know it, you have stuff, stuff, and more stuff that you don't really need and don't know what to do with. If you find yourself in this boat, remember that there are a lot of people who really need the items that you no longer do. Choose the method that best suits your ideals and start boxing up the excess. I can tell you from my own experience that it feels great to clean up the clutter and simplify things. Now, I just need to remember to NOT replace the excesses and to keep an eye on the essentials, without overindulging in the superfluous. 

Comments

[Shay]

Great post Jinxi!
I always feel good when something I no longer have a use for can go to someone who will use and/or appreciate it. Even if they aren't necessarily in need, just knowing that someone else will enjoy/use something that would have otherwise gone into the dump always makes me happy. :)

-Shay

[Tim]

Great post. I have been thinking about doing this exact thing, but keep finding reasons to put it off. Reading this is exactly what I needed to get up and get to work. There is a shelter down the street that I know I could drop of my extra clothes at. Thanks Jinxi.

[Sharon]

I have so many outfits that I do not wear anymore. I just did a google search for woman shelters in my area. Found one and called, they said they have lots of woman who could use the help. I set up a time to drop off my extras. I think it will be at least one bag full of stuff.