Winter?s here and if early signs are right, it?s going to be a cold one. What better time to clear out your closet of all your old coats, sweaters, scarves, gloves and boots, and find a good home for them? When you make a clothing donation, you?re giving someone else a chance to enjoy wearing them. And best of all, it?s a twofer, because you?re also keeping your old clothes out of the landfill. So in this season of snow, cold and sharing, take a few minutes to sort out your old clothing and bring it to a nearby charity drop off location.

?Tis the season
Along with the holly and the ivy, the red and the green, the sweets and the turkey, this is the season of snow, frosty winds and temperatures below freezing. So even as you enjoy your toasty new winter coat and boots, why not take a little time to clear your closet of all your old winter things? You could use the space, and someone else could use your old warm clothing and shoes to get them and their kids through the cold season.
If that isn?t motivation enough, consider the fact that when you donate clothes, you?re keeping them out of the landfills. That?s quite something, given that American toss out an average of 82 pounds of textile waste a year. In fact, textiles have the poorest recycling rate among all recyclable materials, with only about 15% being reused. The rest, all 10.5 million tons of it, goes into the trash. So your clothing donation is also helping the environment.

How your clothing donations can help
When you donate clothes, you?re helping charities in a number of ways. First of all, you?re helping families in need to find good quality clothing at very affordable prices. You may have outgrown that winter coat or sweater, or may just be bored with it. But someone else can put it to good use.
Further, charities use the funds raised from the sale of charitable donations to fund their programs, which range from support of military families to environmental causes. And you?re continuing an American tradition, by becoming part of the 95.4% of the population that makes some kind of charitable donation each year. In fact in 2011, about 2 million tons of textiles were recycled or donated.

What, where and how to donate
Besides clothing donations, you can also donate household goods, appliances and even furniture. So you needn?t feel guilty about splurging for a new coffee maker, if you donate your old one instead of throwing it out. Likewise with your old utensils, dishes, and even silverware. Many people shop in charity thrift stores to set up their homes, and will be delighted to find these.
Many charities have drop boxes at convenient locations, at parking lots in shopping malls or community centers. So once you have your donation all bagged and ready to go, you can just drop if off when doing your errands. If you have a large consignment, you can even schedule a donation pick up. And finally, it?s important to keep in mind that if you donate to a registered 501(c) charity, your donation is tax deductible. For donations over $200 in value, you should get a receipt when you drop it off.

It?s a fact: you?ll enjoy the holidays much more when you feel that you?ve done your bit for charity and the environment. All it takes is a little time to clear out the clutter, and bring your old stuff to a donation center. Your clothing donation will be appreciated by so many people, that it should give you a warm glow to keep out the cold.