Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Recycling Clothes & Gear the right way

You know how it is, you either have way too many clothes, or lots of clothes that just dont fit anymore but wished they did. So here are plenty of ways you can put your clothes to good or prevent this from happening again.

1. Buy what you need only. No matter how cute it is, do you really need it? One exeption would be if you bought this years after season clothes in a size larger for next year. Those put in a box for next year.



2. Seek used whenever possible. There is a wide veriety of nearly new items available, buying used lets you conserve on everything from raw materials to energy. And you will save money too. Consignment shops, thrift stores, and garage sales are great places to find gently used stuff for way cheap.

3. Find friends and family who could use your items. Dont let your sentimentalist talk you into keeping everything.

4. Get your hand me downs back later if you have more children. This way you are really recycling.

5. Repurpose items. Use old towels for kitchen rags, socks for dusting etc.

6. Donate your items to cherity. Goodwill and Salvation Army are great places. Also check out your local homeless shelters, and womens shelters. They can always use items. Call ahead and see what they need.

7. Dont forget you can get a tax deduction for donating your clothes.

8. If donating isnt an option, try www.freecycle.com . This organization has a free email list for almsot every region. You submit messages of what you want to get rid of and people respond.

9. Another great place is www.freepeats.com which has a $4.95 lifetime fee. Limited on regions but consentrates on maternity and children items.

One thing for sure is your doing the earth good by doing any of these things. You will be helping others care for their children without the added expenses. Its a win win situation for everyone.

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