When you make charitable donations of clothing and other household textiles rather than throwing them out, it helps families in need as well as the environment. In just 2011 alone, approximately two million tons of these items were recycled or donated to charitable organizations.
Food Composting Reduces Greenhouse Gases
In the United States, approximately 21.5 million tons of food waste is generated very year. If this food waste were composted, it could reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. It is estimated that this would be the equivalent of taking two million cars off the street.
Recycling Paper Saves Trees
Environmentally-conscious individuals have discussed, and engaged in, recycling paper for decades; however, it continues to be an issue. It’s been found that if only one-tenth of the newspapers were recycled, 25 million trees could be saved on an annual basis.
Consider the amount of junk mail that is received on a weekly basis. Then there are bills, statements, and other types of materials needed for record keeping that could be accessed online, When these papers contain sensitive information, they should be shredded before being recycled.
Other Recyclable Waste
Every year, approximately 1.5 tons of solid waste is produced, and on a daily basis, every individual creates about 4.5 pounds of trash. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only 30% of this trash is recycled. The EPA estimates, however, that 75% of this material could be either recycled or composted.
The Importance of Recycling
Even though research does show that the United States creates 12 million tons of clothing and textile waste on an annual basis, the recovery rate for these materials was 15.3% in 2011. In 2012, almost 87 million tons were either composted and recycled.
When cleaning out cupboards, closets, drawers, file cabinets, and other storage areas, such as garages, taking the time to recycle what can be recycled and donate what can be donated, can make a major impact on the environment. How? By keeping waste out of the landfills.
Furthermore, when people make charitable donations of clothing, household textiles, fabric, and similar materials, these items can then be sold to support charitable programs. In the United States, it is estimated that 80% of the clothing which is donated provides assistance to families in need and the programs that provide this assistance to them.
Donating clothing to charity is as easy as making a phone call. There are also organizations that pick up donations, such as GreenDrop, which also has mobile sites where you can take your clothing donations. Remember that when charitable donations are made, they also provide support for military families and children in need.