Posted on 1 Comment

Can clothes ever be fully recycled?

By Ana Santi27th February 2023

The world’s first commercial-scale textile recycling mill is a milestone in tackling fashion’s colossal waste problem.

O

On the Swedish coast of the Baltic Sea, in the city of Sundsvall – home to the country’s pulp and paper industry – a team of scientists, chemists, entrepreneurs and textile manufacturers are celebrating a milestone birthday, under a banner which features the slogan “#SolutionsAreSexy”.

The Swedish pulp producer Renewcell has just opened the world’s first commercial-scale, textile-to-textile chemical recycling pulp mill, after spending 10 years developing the technology.

While mechanical textiles-to-textiles recycling, which involves the manual shredding of clothes and pulling them apart into their fibres, has existed for centuries, Renewcell is the first commercial mill to use chemical recycling, allowing it to increase quality and scale production. With ambitions to recycle the equivalent of more than 1.4 billion T-shirts every year by 2030, the new plant marks the beginning of a significant shift in the fashion industry’s ability to recycle used clothing at scale.

“The linear model of fashion consumption is not sustainable,” says Renewcell chief executive Patrik Lundström. “We cant deplete Earths natural resources by pumping oil to make polyester, cut down trees to make viscose or grow cotton, and then use these fibres just once in a linear value chain ending in oceans, landfills or incinerators. We need to make fashion circular.” This means limiting fashion waste and pollution while also keeping garments in use and reuse for as long as possible by developing collection schemes or technologies to turn textiles into new raw materials. (READ MORE>>>)

Posted on

Best Places to Donate to

Best Places to Donate To

Donating unneeded items is a win for the donor, the organization that receives the donation and the person who receives the gently used items. But knowing the best place to donate isn’t easy; how can you ensure that your items will help those you want to support and that you’ll have a positive donation experience? Before donating to an organization, make sure you research them and understand how their donation process works and how your items are used. 

Learn more about which type of donation service is best suited for your needs, from traditional drop offs at a fixed location to home pickups that offer maximum convenience when looking to declutter and rid your home of items you no longer need.

Where to Donate Clothing 

Donating clothing is one of the most common ways to declutter a space and benefit worthy causes. You’ve probably seen large clothing donation dropoff boxes in parking lots or other high-traffic locations.These can be helpful if you know where they are and have one close to you, but if you live in a more rural area or one that doesn’t have many dropoff boxes, they aren’t the best option.

You can also donate gently used clothing to local organizations in your area. These are often smaller organizations that help a specific community, but they’re less likely to offer donation pickups, meaning you need to spend time driving to their location in order to donate. 

Larger organizations that serve more than one area are another option when deciding where to donate clothing. With a larger service footprint and more resources, they offer the freedom to have your donation picked up from your home. 

How to Donate Clothes

If you’re not sure how to donate clothing, three methods for getting rid of items you no longer need: in-person drop offs, dropoff boxes and donation pickups. A drop off ensures that your donated items are handled with care and get to their destination. However, donating at a specific location requires boxing or bagging your clothing, getting to that location during its hours of operation and hauling items to and from your car.

Donation dropoff boxes eliminate the need to visit a physical location during business hours, but come with other drawbacks. Donations may not be picked up the same day or even the same week and items placed inside these boxes aren’t as secure. 

Donation pickup services combine the best aspects of these two options, ensuring your items are picked up in a secure manner without you having to take your donations anywhere. They also allow you to avoid the hassle of transporting items yourself.

Where to Donate Electronics

Generally, charities that take donations of electronics accept items that are clean and in good condition. These organizations typically require that devices must work, and nothing donated can be broken or missing parts. Because of the nature of the donated items and the fact that they can be damaged by rain, snow and cold, donating used electronics isn’t as easy as donating clothing. 

When donating any type of electronic device, be sure to check with an organization to confirm whether or not they accept the type of items you have. Some accept smaller electronic devices, but not bigger ones, such as large flat-screen televisions.

Where to Donate Books 

Many of the same organizations that accept clothing and electronics also accept donations of used books. In addition to local and national donation services, local thrift stores and libraries are options for getting rid of books you no longer need. These options come with some of the same hassles as donating other types of items, namely having to box up and transport donated items to a specific location during business hours. A donation pickup service eliminates these concerns and means the furthest you have to haul your used books is your porch.

The Benefits of Donating 

Donating clothing, electronics, books and other unneeded items has many benefits in addition to decluttering your space. Opt for a donation service that allows you to choose which charitable organization your donation will support – including charities for veterans, students, animals or another cause that is close to your heart.

THE DONATESTUFF.COM DIFFERENCE

DonateStuff.com is the best choice for donating your unwanted items – our donation pickup services  help you declutter your space while benefiting the worthy cause of your choice, without even leaving your house! Simply schedule your donation pickup and choose the local charity you want your items to benefit. You can also schedule through text messaging, adding another level of convenience to the process. On your pickup day, all you have to do is set out your donation items and clearly mark them so our delivery drivers know what items to take when they arrive – it’s that easy. Click here to get started!

Posted on

3 Reasons to Choose a Free Donation Pickup Service

3 Reasons to Choose a Free Donation Pickup Service

As time goes on, we all accumulate stuff that we no longer need. Our unwanted stuff often creates clutter and takes up valuable space. The question is: What do you do with it? Do you have a garage sale? Throw it in the trash? Hall it to a donation site? 

The easiest answer: Donate it to DonateStuff.com, so you can turn your trash into someone’s treasure–and benefit a local charity in the process. If you’re ready to donate your unwanted items, here are a few reasons to choose a FREE pickup directly from your home with DonateStuff.com.

Ease of Donating a Variety of Items

Especially when you’re doing a big clean out, having a pickup from your home can be a big timesaver. If you have gently-used clothing, kitchen items, books, sporting equipment or toys, you simply package them up and DonateStuff.com picks it up from your home. We accept a variety of items and then get them out of your hair–and into the hands of someone who needs them.

Choose the Charity You Benefit

When you schedule a pickup with DonateStuff.com, you can choose a local charity to support. We’re proud to say that DonateStuff.com and our affiliates have helped raise over $79,850,000 for our partner charities in the last 50 years.

Safe, Contactless Pickup

With DonateStuff.com, you don’t have to interact with anyone to get rid of your unwanted stuff. Not only is pickup FREE for you, our process is completely safe and contact-free. You simply put your donation by your front door, our team picks it up, and we leave you a receipt that includes a tax deduction form for you to process when you complete taxes. 

Southeast Michigan & Other Pick Up Locations

DonateStuff.com currently serves the greater metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Houston, and Northern Connecticut and we’re exploring opportunities in more locations nationwide. You can see if your area is served by using our easy online pickup scheduler or by viewing our service area map.

Posted on

5 Reasons You Should Donate Your Old Clothes

5 Reasons You Should Donate Your Old Clothes

Old clothes are taking up space in your drawers and closet, and you’re considering what to do about it. Do you bag them up, and throw them in the trash? Do you load up your car and make the journey to a donation site? Or do you find someone who can take and reuse your old clothing items? 

Before you go any further, consider why donating your clothes to DonateStuff.com is a great choice. Our FREE service makes it easy for you to donate your old clothes and do some good in the process.

1. Help the Environment

Did you know that 20 billion tons of clothes end up in landfills each year? These items end up emitting greenhouse gasses as they break down which contribute to climate change. Plus, manufacturing new clothing demands a lot of our natural resources, during a time when we’re trying to reduce our collective carbon footprint.  

Donating your clothes is a better choice for the environment. Rather than rotting away in a landfill, your old clothing can be reused or recycled into something new. We’re happy to report that our donors help us keep 470,000 tons of clothing out of landfills each week. 

2. Enjoy Mental Health Benefits

Even if having a positive impact on the environment isn’t your priority, there’s another important reason to consider cleaning out your unwanted clothing: You. 

Many people feel stressed out when their environment is cluttered and disorganized. That’s why your mental health can benefit from cleaning out your old clothes. Believe it or not, tidying your drawers and closet can help you feel calmer and more in control of your life. Plus, taking small actions like cleaning out your closet can make you feel a sense of accomplishment. 

3. Make Room for This Season’s Clothes

After you clean out your old clothes, you may find you need something new. The great news is that you’ve freed up room in your closet and drawers, so you have the space for new clothing. Or, if you need to switch out items in your closet based on the season, a good clean-out ensures you have adequate room to keep everything organized.

4. Receive a Tax Write Off

Not only is it FREE and easy to schedule a donation pick up from DonateStuff.com – helping you do some good for yourself and the world – you can also get a deduction for your donation at tax time!

5. Feel Good About Doing Good

Donating your old clothes to DonateStuff.com not only does you some good, but it also helps support local charities. DonateStuff.com partners with charities in your area and you can choose which organization you want to benefit.

DonateStuff.com Contactless Pickup

When you’re ready to tidy up and donate your clothing, schedule a free donation pick up with DonateStuff.com. We promise it’s easy, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing something good for yourself and your local community. 

We serve the greater metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Houston, and Northern Connecticut.