Throughout 2020, we’ve spent more time at home than ever before. This has given homeowners more time to focus on cleaning out their homes to create comfortable, tidy living spaces. If you've got unwanted items and are wondering about the best places to give them away (aside from Goodwill), here are seven ethical no-contact options where you can donate your stuff.
Reasons to Ethically Rehome Your Clutter
It’s wasteful to simply throw away items that someone else could still use, and you probably don’t have the time or patience to try reselling your belongings online. Donating your clutter is an environmentally friendly option that frees up space while reducing your carbon footprint.
If you shop at fast fashion brands like ZARA and H&M, you'll notice that the cheaper fabrics drastically shorten the lifespan of your clothing. Plus, styles that are trendy today probably won’t be in a year or two. People who have worked their way through a long list of backlogged chores during their time at home may have found that there's a lot of junk crowding their living space.
Dozens of donation centers throughout the country partner with charitable organizations so that you can easily find a good cause to contribute to when searching for a place to donate your stuff.
Gift Your Old Electronics to Your Local Community
If you're quick to try out the newest gadgets, you've probably got lots of old laptops, smart devices, and other electronics lying around. Typically, it's not a good idea to away anything that contains a lithium-ion battery. Local schools and public libraries often accept devices in useable condition and rent them out to members of the community.
Clothing Brands That Upcycle
Before you throw out your unwanted or unusable vintage clothes, consider upcycling or recycling them. Whether they’re too small, worn out, or stained, nearly 100% of clothing is recyclable. Many of the following brands will reward you with a credit for bringing back your old clothes.
The North Face
The North Face's Clothes the Loop program encourages customers to bring back their worn-out shoes and apparel to the company's retail and outlet stores by offering them a $10 discount on their next purchase of $100 or more.
Patagonia
After your Patagonia merchandise reaches the end of its usefulness, you can bring it back to a nearby Patagonia location. You can also donate items by mail. This company-sponsored upcycling program helps ensure that the clothes you throw out don't end up in an incinerator.
Levi's
If you’ve been sporting denim for decades, you definitely know how worn out a pair of jeans can get when it’s past its prime. Get rid of your extra-low rises and bedazzled pockets by bringing back your old Levi's. Levi's SecondHand, the brand's online upcycling center, helps keep their jeans in circulation and out of landfills. Book an appointment at your local Levi's retail location to sell back your old clothing, and you'll receive a Levi's gift card that’s worth between $5 and $35.
H&M
H&M gives back by working toward a more sustainable fashion future by upcycling and recycling old items. Clothes that are dropped off in donation boxes are sorted and categorized for reuse, re-wear, and recycling.
Where to Donate Your Books
You can find a new home for books you’d like to donate while supporting a worthy cause. Operation Paperback has over 19,000 volunteers from all 50 states who form a network of shippers that send 15,000 books per month to American troops overseas. Most public libraries will also accept donations of secondhand books.
Donate Your Old Appliances and Furniture
Are you moving or planning a major renovation? Donate your old kitchen and household appliances to Habitat for Humanity. Their volunteers will give these items to families who need them. The organization accepts gently used appliances, furniture, tools, and other household goods.
Before You Donate
Before donating clothing, wash and dry everything before dropping it off at a donation center or retailer. To protect your personal information, wipe the hard drives of any electronic devices you plan to donate.
It's a good idea to donate any items that still have value and can be used by someone else. However, you'll probably end up with a lot of stuff you can't recycle after cleaning out your home. Bin There Dump That can help you easily get rid of large amounts of trash and other debris from home improvement projects.
We have several dumpster sizes and a simple rental process to help you save time and money. The experts at your local Bin There Dump That franchise can also offer you resources to find somewhere to donate or recycle stuff you don't want to throw away. To see how we can help you, contact a Bin There Dump That location near you.
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