Earth Day is next week! Although much time and energy is spent promoting sustainable living and responsible consumption and disposal of goods, as a whole we tend to overlook the evolution of Earth Day and the environmental movement. The history of Earth Day is important to know because it’s the history of us; of a growing collective consciousness that is summed up beautifully by Marlee Matlin. “The Earth does not belong to us,” she said, “We belong to the Earth.”

It may not seem like much, but did you know that when you donate clothing and other items you are also:

• Helping in the conservation of natural resources (because people can buy your donated, already-made items instead of purchasing new items made from raw materials)
• Helping the reduction of energy consumption (energy used to make new items and/or energy used to recycle old items), and keeping recyclable items out of landfills (nearly 100% of textiles are recyclable! Never, ever throw away any clothing items!)
• Reducing carbon dioxide and other emissions (because donated items are not decaying in a landfill or being processed at a recycling plant)
• Benefiting other human beings, sometimes even in developing nations

Here’s the thing. Thrift stores aren’t always able to sell their donations in-store. And that’s where we come in. We buy wholesale used clothing (including credential clothing and mixed rags), paired shoes, housewares such as bulk used linens, kitchenware, and luggage, soft toys, hard toys, accessories (such as belts, caps, and purses. We, in turn, pass those goods on so that they can be re-distributed, providing much needed clothing and goods to people in developing nations (We’ve created infographics about that here and here).

This Earth Day we urge you to continue to donate your gently used goods to thrift stores and other charitable organizations. Together we can do more!