You can use local buy/sell sites or groups, sell through consignment stores, or through online marketplaces. Selling your clothes and household goods can actually be a great way to ensure the item goes to someone who will use it. Do you support their causes? Organizations should be transparent about what they do with donations – are they given to local charities, sold, etc and what happens to items they can’t use/sell? It’s especially important to look into the charities with clothing donation bins as some of these have been found to be fakes. Don’t just drop stuff off and make them then deal with things they can’t use as this ends up costing the charity time and sometimes money.ĭo some research into any charities, thrift shops, and organizations you’re donating to. It’s really important to contact them first though as most of these organisations only need specific items. Sorting out unusable items at donation centres requires time, resources, and energy and it might just end up in the trash anyway, so only donate good quality, good condition, saleable items.Ĭheck with shelters, charities, and other local organisations who might want your stuff.
If you wouldn’t wear/use it, it’s better to recycle and not donate it. Make sure everything is clean and in good condition. Clothing is packaged and sold in large bales, then the purchaser goes through and sorts out what they can sell, but what about the rest? I couldn’t find detailed information about what happens to it but I assume it most likely ends up in a landfill. Rwanda however is moving forward and plans for a total ban by the end of 2019.Īnother issue with this system is we are essentially selling our garbage to someone else. As a result Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda backed down from their ban. A few countries including Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have attempted to ban used clothing imports to try and grow their own textile industry however the US hit back hard, threatening to impose tariffs. Africa has become a huge market for used clothing and some countries are fighting back, claiming that it’s damaging their local apparel economy. So what happens to the other 75%? They might be turned into rags, some end up in the landfill, but most clothes seem to get shipped to other countries. A lot of donated clothing doesn’t even make it onto the floor and ultimately only about 25% of donated items actually get sold. If you can get a $5 top brand new, are you likely to buy the same top for $3 used? Also with cheap clothing often comes quality issues. The reality is thrift stores get piles of cheap, fast fashion clothing which no one wants to buy. People often feel that by donating their clothes and home goods to thrift stores they are doing something altruistic and helping others when this might not be the result. I’d like to clarify this because I don’t want to give the wrong impression – donating your unused stuff instead of throwing it away is definitely the way to go, but let’s look at ways you can do this more responsibly.
Thrift stores have seen an uptick in donations which might seem like a great thing (if you’re an avid thrifter get out there and enjoy it!), but actually comes with a series of issues as thrift stores and charity shops already get way more donations than they can sell.
Often people’s first response is to trash it as it’s the easiest and fastest way to get rid of things, but obviously this creates a ton of unnecessary waste.
While I love that the show has inspired people to think about their stuff and what they actually need and love, and personally I’ve experienced so many benefits of decluttering and being more mindful of my possessions, I think there’s a missing element of how to get rid of all the stuff in a responsible way. After Marie Kondo’s hit Netflix show Tidying Up launched this year, people around the world have been asking themselves if their stuff “sparks joy” and decluttering the items that don’t.