The Sustainable Next Chapter of Your Unwanted Clothing
A Sustainable Way to Purge Your Closet
If you’re like most of my clients, you may sometimes feel badly about having purchased something that winds up not working out for you down the road. When you’ve made the decision that something no longer fits your lifestyle, the next thought you have could be guilt that you spent money on the item, or you feel bad that human hands and the Earth’s resources were used to manufacture the item. The good news is you have empathy and you’re also not alone.
The problem with unwanted clothing is that nearly 12 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills each year. These days there are so many options for quickly selling, donating, or swapping items that no longer fit who you are today.
Who We Donate To:
When we help our clients declutter their closet, about 95% of the purged items are donated. With our goal always to aid the less fortunate in mind. We prefer to donate to smaller, local organizations where clients can see the direct impact of their donations within their community.
Below are 8 charities on the North Shore of Chicago that we donate to frequently. Remember that while these charities accept clothing, they also accept other items. Some give the clothes directly to people who need them while others resell them to raise funds for important causes.
We mostly donate to these smaller organizations:
Winnetka Thrift Shop - 100% of the Winnetka Thrift Shop proceeds benefit Counseling Center of the North Shore and is only run by volunteers.
New To You Charitable Resale Shop - they have donated between $32,000 – $50,000 to 12 local charities which benefit local families in need
North Shore Exchange - all their proceeds support Chicagoland charities providing services for children and families experiencing poverty, as well as Family Service of Glencoe.
WINGS services for families fleeing domestic violence are funded, in part, by all proceeds from our three resale stores
The Shop at the Center - put volunteers to work polishing, sorting, and selling merchandise to support NSSC’s mission of empowering older adults, their families, and the community. All sale proceeds directly benefit North Shore Senior Center
YWCA Shop for Good - 100% of profits help support YWCA’s domestic violence, economic advancement, and racial justice programs that serve women across northeastern Cook County.
Thrift Shops
I am personally a huge proponent of shopping secondhand! Nearly 90% of my clothes are from consignment or thrift stores, and second-hand. The benefit of living on Chicago’s North Shore is that you can find a lot of good things second-hand!
YMCA, Women’s Shelters, Homeless Shelters
When it comes to item donation, think outside the box and donate to local organizations that make a big impact on your community. These organizations are usually in desperate need of funding and support, so your donation could really benefit someone in need.
Churches and Community Rummage Sales
Don’t overlook other local organizations and community events near you!
Local Physical Consignment
For designer items in good condition, leaning on local consignment shops to help you sell your wears will benefit your community (both the local shop and the future owner of your item) while helping to save Mother Earth. And with a local shop, you won’t be adding to carbon emissions of shipping. I call that a win-win-win!
On the North Shore of Chicago, check out consignment shops like KMK Luxury Consignment in Winnetka and My Best Friend’s Closet in Highland Park.
Virtual Consignment and Resale
If you really want to be sustainable with your unwanted clothes, there are a few more options for you to explore beyond donation.
Poshmark
Selling on Poshmark is easy. The mobile app helps you to get items uploaded really fast (sometimes in less than a minute or two of your time per item). The downside is that it sometimes takes price drops and discounts to get people to commit to an item. The other big downside is that if you are drowning in clutter, the item will remain in your possession until it is sold which can lead to visual clutter and anxiety. Another downside is that fees seem to be high for more expensive listings.
ThredUp
The benefit of ThredUp is that they handle the selling of your items from start to finish. They list, keep, and ship when an item is purchased. There are higher fees, so you see less profit, but for your best clothes that you know would find another home, this could be a great option to get the clutter out of your home quickly.
eBay
Don’t forget about the OG in online resale. A bargain shopper’s paradise! If you have items that people may need to replace or are looking for more of something that may no longer be manufactured, eBay has great Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to help people who make those broad Google searches find the item they’re looking for. If you make the sale, you’ll know the item will be used in it’s new home.
Throw a swap party!
Invite friends to a clean, empty space and have everyone bring items that are in good condition, but that they no longer need. You can send messages about what sizes you all wear in advance to better guide attendees of what may be in demand if it’s a smaller group. Let the trading and sharing begin!
There is no shortage of ways to sustainably declutter your home and give the products that no longer serve your needs a new lease on life. Whatever vehicle you choose for the sustainable next chapter of your unwanted items, it's important to research and make informed decisions when choosing where to donate.
If you’re ready to finally take back your home the sustainable way, contact me for workable systems and practices to make whole-house organization easy!
