Sunday, November 25, 2012

Donate Your Old Things, Get New Things By Buying Used

Next time you go to throw something away, stop and think. Is it at/nearing the end of its life? If not, consider donating it. Thrift stores, places such as Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), accept donations and, in turn, sell them to fun humanitarian programs. This helps the environment by keeping usable items out of the landfill and contributes to a good cause. Goodwill alone "diverts more than two billion pounds of clothing and household goods every year from landfills."

What can you donate?/What will you find in a thrift store?

Thrift stores accept a variety of donated goods. You never know what kind of treasure you might find hiding in your local thrift store. Some might be over priced, others might be The following is just a few of the things I see commonly in local thrift stores:
  • Clothes (vintage, formal wear, casual wear, swim wear, underwear...the list is endless!)
  • Jewelry and Accessories (shoes, belts, purses etc.)
  • Media (books/movies/music/video games)
  • Electronics (appliances, fans, radios, TVs, etc.)
  • Toys (stuffed animals, board games, etc.)
  • Home Decor
  • Kitchenware (silverware, cookware, dinnerware, etc.)
  • Furniture (desk, couch, table, chair, bed, dresser, etc.)
  • Holiday Decorations

Tips For Thrift Store Shopping

  • Everything is "as is" so check items over carefully before you buy.
  • If anything about an item looks off, DON'T buy it. 
  • Thoroughly clean purchases before you use them.
  • Be wary of hard to clean things like soft furniture.
  • Buy over-sized and slightly damaged cloth items to use in sewing projects. 

Don't like reusing strangers' things? No problem! I understand that some people may not want to buy and use already been used things. If you have the money to always buy your things new, go for it. Just please don't throw away perfectly good items. Sending gently used items to the landfill contributes to the waste problem. Instead, donate. You can help the environment and support a good cause by letting others reuse what you don't use.

Why should you donate specifically to Goodwill, The Salvation Army, or DAV?

The Salvation Army, DAV, and Goodwill sell donated goods to fund a variety of welfare services. Goodwill offers services that help immigrants, people with criminal background, the disabled, elderly, veterans, military families, and youth. Some of The Salvation Army's many services include health, community development, emergency, anti-sex trafficking, and tracing lost family. DAV helps American veterans and their families navigate complicated paper work and legal channels to ensure they receive the benefits that they are entitled to, helps current military personnel transition to civilian life, has outreach programs, and helps with disaster relief.


About

Goodwill

Goodwill is an American and Canadian organization. According to Goodwill's About Us page, it "works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work." In addition to looking out for human welfare, Goodwill looks out for the environment too. Goodwill backs a donation program that "focuses on the positive impact donating has on the people and planet," it's a "certified green business by Montgomery County, MD," it "received the 2010 EcoCEO Award from SmartCEO Magazine in the implementer category for medium-sized businesses and nonprofits," and "was named a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partner in March 2011" for purchasing "100 percent wind energy."

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is an international organization. According to its About Us page, The Salvation Army is a faith-based (Christian) organization "founded in 1865 by William Booth."


Disabled American Veterans 

DAV is unique to the United States. According to the DAV About Us page, it "is a non-profit charity dedicated to building better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families.[. . . It was] founded in 1920 by disabled veterans returning from World War I to represent their unique interests. In 1932, the DAV was congressionally chartered as the official voice of the nation's wartime disabled veterans."

Critique

It is a shame that Goodwill does not cite a source backing its claim about diverting items from landfills. Overall though, the sites can be trusted for information about their respective services since it would be counterproductive to give misleading information. They are also all old enough and well known enough to be considered reputable organizations.

1 comment:

  1. Donating stuff you no longer want/use is a 2 for 1....it helps whatever charity you donate it to and it keeps stuff out of the landfill.
    Shopping in thrift stores can be great for the budget minded. And sometimes they even have stuff that's brand new never been worn with the tags still on it.....some people buy stuff and never wear it.

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