Hey earth muffins! A great way to be more sustainable is to support your local secondhand stores. This might mean shopping for clothing exclusively at the thrift OR donating clothes to keep the circular economy going. It is important to make sure your donations are allocated/used in the most effective way; so, you must ask yourself “where to donate my stuff“… But, you also need to ensure you donate clothes properly as well. Keep reading for all the top tips on donating your clothes!
1. Make sure they are worth donating
While you may want to donate that whole bag of clothes you decluttered, it is important to make sure the clothes are worth donating. This means they aren’t full of holes or threadbare… Donating may make you feel better about reducing waste, but it is unfair to the secondhand stores if they just have to throw away what you really should have put into the trash to begin with.
Hey earth muffins! During Lent, one of the things I have been doing is participating in a “Less is More” challenge. If you haven’t seen the Netflix documentary, this challenge involves decluttering 1 item on day 1, 2 items on day 2, etc. Because I recently went through a huge decluttering, I decided to modify this challenge to 1 item per day. But I’ve noticed that I will often declutter multiple items on certain days! As the “decluttering box” in my living room gets full of more stuff, I thought I would share my tips for donating after a huge decluttering. Where to donate your stuff is a great question to ask, so I hope this post helps you make the most impact with the items you have decluttered from your life! 😊
Where is the Best Place to Donate my Items?
Firstly, it is important to not just take a huge load of items to one thrift store. Secondhand stores are always overwhelmed with people doing this; this results in slow processing of the items or things being thrown in the trash. Instead of just giving everything to one place, I strongly urge you to split up the items. This will allocate the resources to whoever needs them the most! It will also ensure the items actually get used, not buried on the back shelf of a Salvation Army or Goodwill.
Can you sell it?
If you have any items that you feel are valuable (and you have the time), try to sell them. I would suggest Facebook Marketplace to help out your local area, but you could also try other selling apps or even Ebay. I’ve written a whole post about how to score the best deals on Facebook Marketplace. On the selling side, make sure your prices are fair and that you are quick to respond to interested buyers. Nothing is worse than someone who doesn’t message back when you want to buy their item! 😬
Think of family and friends first!
After a decluttering, ask around and see if any family or friends are interested in anything. Especially for decorations and artwork, some people might be interested if they liked certain pieces in your home. You could also just set aside items for people without asking first. Have a friend expecting? Make a care package of some baby items you were looking to get rid of!
Post on a “Buy Nothing” Facebook group before throwing out.
I’ve noticed that I often find some questionable items when I declutter that might need to be tossed in the trash instead of donating. Before you do that though, I suggest posting it on the Buy Nothing Facebook group in your area. I’ve actually been quite surprised what people are interested in on these groups! Some people are in need and will take anything, and others will take “messed up” items for craft projects or hobbies. You could also post on Freecycle if you don’t have a Facebook account. If you find that no one wants your item, make sure you trash it so the place you donate to doesn’t have to!
For gender or age specific items, donate to shelters in your area.
There are many women shelters that are always looking for clothing, toiletries, etc. You might even have shelters specifically for children and/or teens that would love some of your decluttered items. Do a quick Google search to see if you have any shelters near you. If so, see what items they are looking for. There is usually a list on their website, but you could also call to confirm that your donations would be accepted/used.
See if your local Ronald McDonald house will accept old toys!
I suggest calling your local Ronald McDonald house or children’s hospital with their current rules about donations, as the pandemic could have affected them. It is awesome to donate toys, games, stuffed animals, etc. to places where they are needed instead of a random thrift store in your area.
Donate to a church drive or church-wide yard sale.
My church always has some sort of drive going on whether it be hats and gloves or toiletries for the homeless. See if any drives at your church align with some items you have decluttered! I’ve also seen churches do yard sale fundraisers where donated items are sold to raise money for the church or a mission. Save some of your items for this event if your church is hosting an event like this as well!
Other Places to Donate
Obviously, you can still donate to a thrift store if you have exhausted all of your other options. Clothes are usually good to donate, but make sure they are in good condition! If they aren’t, repurpose or throw them away yourself as we wouldn’t want to partake in any wishful donating! 😊 If you know a certain store has good turnover of home goods, donate those items there. The same goes for clothes. The goal is to get the items in the hands of another person who will use it! I hope this “where to donate your stuff” post was helpful… Where do you like to donate?
