Clothing Donation 07 112 Ns - article by Whimsical Wire Articles

Imagine this; your closets are overflowing. Every time you walk through your bedroom you trip over pants that are too tight, shirts that are too warn, and sweaters which are hopelessly out of date. These clothes are never worn, and you don't know anyone you could give them to without feeling embarrassed. Instead of throwing away your old clothes or selling them through a consignment shop, why not donate them to a worthwhile charity? Many different organizations, from The Salvation Army to local churches and civic centers run clothing donation drives every year, especially around the holidays. They make it convenient for families to get rid of outdated styles or sizes that are cluttering up their closets and dressers. Most charities have donation centers set up at their locations, while others also maintain donation boxes at schools or churches. These boxes work like United States mailboxes; you can deposit your clothes into a slot and, once the slot is closed, they are secured until charity representatives come to collect the clothing.

The clothing that is collected is classified as "post-consumer textile waste." This can also include blankets, curtains, or tablecloths that are still useable. Clothing collections often keep a great deal of useable material out of landfills. This textile waste usually constitutes about 4.5 percent of the total waste produced by the United States, which comes to about 35 pounds of waste per person. The sad thing is that there is generally nothing wrong with these clothes; they just aren't wanted anymore. Clothing collections keep this material out of landfills and on the backs of people who need the clothing.

Once the clothing donations are collected, they are separated by fabric and color and washed in industrial sized laundry machines. Depending on the organization, sometimes this is done at a local laundromat or at the organization's headquarters. Once the loads are washed and dried, they are usually separated by clothing type (i.e. men's, women's, children's, etc.). From here, your clothing donation could go to a number of different places. Some organizations get the clothes directly to people who need them, often through homeless shelters or halfway houses. Other organizations like the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America or the Salvation Army use clothing donations as a way to generate thousands of dollars of revenue each year. With these set ups, the sorted clothes are sold to thrift stores or through the organizations' own stores. This way people are able to buy good clothes at bargain prices while generating funds for worthwhile organizations.

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