Photo courtesy of Goodwill SLO
What do people do when their closets become crowded and cluttered? Many would simply throw out their old clothes, harming the environment and community.
Many San Luis Obispo High School students have found alternative ways to get rid of clothes while giving back to the local community.
Donating clothes, as well as other unwanted items to Goodwill is a great way to help others.
“Parting with clothes can be a tough decision, especially if I have a lot of memories with a certain article of clothing. It can also come with a lot of guilt if it was gifted to me, but donating my clothes makes me feel happy knowing it will go to someone in the community who needs it or just really loves the piece. Donating brings me peace knowing that I am making affordable clothing for those in need but I am also pleased to be helping the environment,” said junior Berlyn Ellsworth.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that the average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing annually. Old clothing usually ends up in landfills, where methane is emitted into the atmosphere.
“Clothing production uses a lot of energy and water. Some fabrics have plastics in them as well so getting the most use out of them through multiple people is a very sustainable practice,” said Ellsworth.
Other students have found another alternative to throwing out clothes. Websites like Depop and Poshmark gives the opportunity for anyone to sell their clothes online. This is a great choice for high schoolers looking to give their clothes away while also making some extra cash.
“I use Depop to sell my clothes. It is definitely a better alternative to throwing clothes away because doing that would contribute to polluting our earth even more with trash. Selling clothes is also beneficial because especially during the pandemic, I do not have many other options for making money,” said sophomore Makena Swithin.
Simply throwing away old clothes benefits nobody in the end. SLO’s Goodwill Donation Center is located at 79 Santa Rosa St and also accepts furniture and housewares.
“The benefits of donating is that I’m not contributing to clothing waste, plus the clothes that I’m donating will be made more affordable for other people,” said junior Rozy Jones.
