Clothing Donation for Your Fall Wardrobe Clean-Out

Tis the season of packing up closets full of dresses, tshirts, and shorts to be replaced with tall boots, turtlenecks, and blanket scarves. I did a swap of my closet this past weekend and one the things I like most about cleaning my closet is making piles of clothes I no longer wear or things that don't fit anymore to donate, sell, or give to friends. Unless at item is totally warn out, has stains that can't possibly removed, or is damaged and dingy, I like putting clothes I no longer want or need back into the 'system' so that someone else can love the item too!

Especially when so many clothes now are made from synthetic materials, donating or repurposing clothing has become more important. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), over 10 million tons of textiles were put into landfills in 2014. That is roughly 64% of all the textiles generated in 2014! Though significant portions of recycled clothing still end up in landfills, I feel that donating them has the potential benefit of prolonging how long it takes for clothes to make it to the landfill, and in the meantime we can educate people and promote more mindful consumption.

If you are interested in donating lightly used clothing, here are some stores that offer incentives, mostly in the form of store credit to be used on future purchases.

J . C R E W

What to donate: Gently worn outerwear

What you get: $25 off your purchase of $125 or more

R E F O R M A T I O N x T H R E D U P

What to donate: women's and kid's clothing, shoes, accessories, bags, and jewelry

What you get: Credit to Reformation based on which items ThredUp accepts

M A D E W E L L

What to donate: lightly worn denim jeans

What you get: $20 off a pair of Madewell denim

H & M

What to donate: clothes or textiles from any brand

What you get: 15% of next in-store purchase at H&M

One way to ensure that your clothes will end up directly in the hands of others is to host a clothing swap with friends or bring the clothes directly to a facility that needs them, such as a women's shelter. At home, my dance company often used to partner with HomeFront, which accepts clothing donations of gently-worn clothing in good condition. At school in Baltimore, House of Ruth is a similar organization that my sorority sometimes partnered with. Both are incredible organizations that make real impact on the women in their communities, so if you are looking for a place to directly donate clothes this fall, I highly recommend both!

For more of my thoughts on building a sustainable wardrobe, check out How I Think Sustainably About Fast Fashion and My Top Wear No Evil Factors.