The Positive Impact of Charitable Donations From Helping Those in Need to Benefitting the Environment

The Council for Textile Recycling reported that 25 billion pounds of new textiles are created every year in the United States. Unfortunately, 85% of this material is thrown away and adds to the country’s landfills. The remainder, however, is donated to charitable organizations. Other research has found that people in the United States throw away 12 million tons of clothing and textiles, which could also be either recycled or donated. Given this level of waste, textiles are considered to have the lowest recycling rate of any other type of material that could be reused.

According to estimates made by the Environmental Protection Agency, 75% of solid waste is actually recyclable. It may come as a surprise that just 30% of this waste is actually recycled. Since this country generates 21.5 million tons of food waste on an annual basis, this could be used to create compost for community gardens, parks, and other agricultural purposes. It’s important to note that many Americans do make positive contributions to the environment by composting. In 2012, for example, 87 million tons of material was recycled or composted.

Approximately two million tons of used clothing is recycled every year. While less than 50% of this is worn again, the remainder is used for industrial rags, couch stuffing, and home insulation. It’s possible that some people may not be aware that used clothing and household textiles can be used for so many different purposes.

Even though it may appear that only a small percentage of Americans are socially and environmentally-conscious, this is not the case. It’s been found that 95.4% of the population does engage in charitable giving of some type. One of the ways that they do this is by making donations of used clothing and household items to charitable organizations. When Americans donate clothing to charitable organizations, roughly 80% of these items are used to assist those in need. This includes providing funding for valuable community programs.

If you’re one of those individuals that makes charitable donations on a regular basis, then you realize that this makes a difference in your community. There’s a good chance that you have a favorite charitable organization, such as one that assists veterans and their families. Charitable donations, as you are well aware, also help fund programs to assist veterans and the blind. In addition, these donations assist with funding programs that focus on improving the environment.

Are you looking for organizations that pick up donations? The Military Order of the Purple Heart provides this service on a regular basis. When you contact this organization for a pick up, it can make it that much more convenient for you to make charitable donations.