You have a favorite pair of jeans. They fit well, they stretch, they are soft. You feel happy when you wear them.
Printed inside of the pockets are words of encouragement. You are genuine. You are beautiful. You are original. Laugh often. Initially, you were annoyed every time that you noticed those words. How superficial that a jean company thinks that women need to reminded of these simple truths. Is this not the definition of insecurity? Eventually though, you realized that every time you pulled those jeans on or folded them as they came out of the laundry you were rereading those words. Genuine. Beautiful. Original. Laugh.
Great thoughts to remember.
Lately, you have also added a new word that you think of often.
Abbreviate.
You have started to abbreviate many of the things in your life. Fewer pairs of shoes. Fewer shirts crowding your closet. Fewer knick knacks cluttering your shelves.
Abbreviating Clutter Creates Calm
In a country that seems consumed with consumerism, many Americans have finally reached the point where they have decided that they have enough. Too much, in fact. Research indicates, for instance, that the average American buys at least twice as many pieces of clothing as people did 20 years ago. When these clothing collectors make the decision to clean out their closets they hopefully decide to donate. The number of organizations with charity clothing pick up options make donating easier than ever before.
Far more welcome than the incessant phone calls from this season’s politicians, charity clothing pick up reminders will even let you know when, where, and how to easily donate your unused items. Groups like wounded veterans charities and local church charities help consumers who are ready to minimize their belongings connect with those who are most in need. Large non profit retailers also offer one option for local clothing donations.
In addition to benefitting those in need, cleaning out closets and cupboards also provides advantages to those doing the donating. A less cluttered surrounding provides both calm and comfort. Waking up to a well organized home with less clutter provides a breath of fresh air every morning. Instead of searching through the closet and the entire house for a pair of shoes, however, makes for a hectic start of the day. Selecting from three or four quality pair of shoes that easily fit in their designated spot, however, provides an organized and quick start to the day.
A Combination of Donating and Recycling Helps Everyone
Unfortunately, textiles account for as much as 5% of municipal waste because 85% of unusable fabrics are thrown out instead of recycled. More specifically, the average American throws away as much as 70 pounds of clothing, linens, and other textiles every single year.
Even when families take the time to create piles of clothing to donate to a charity clothing pick up service, they often still have many items that they feel are not nice enough to donate. Single, unmatched socks, stained t-shirts, ripped jeans, and worn table linens, although not nice enough to be donated, can still be recycled. In fact, nearly 100% of household textiles and clothing can be recycled, regardless of the condition or quality.
Recycled textiles not only keeps textiles out of landfills, it also provides work for an entire industry. From sorting clothing that is still useable to bundling together non-wearable fabrics, the textile recycling industry provides a variety of jobs at a variety of skill levels.
It is difficult to know which is more helpful, donating unused items to organizations who provide charity clothing pick up, recycling tattered and torn textiles, or decluttering our own lives. Perhaps the answer is that all three are equally beneficial. Donating clothing provides needed clothing and other household items to those less fortunate; recycling clothing keeps unnecessary waste out of America’s growing landfills; and decluttering our homes can lead to a more peaceful and relaxed existence.
In America’s continued search for genuine, original, and beautiful ways to enjoy life, the solution seems to be so simple that it, indeed, could make you laugh. Keep what you need. Treasure what you have. Find a way to donate or recycle what is no longer necessary. Another message we should remember every time we pull on a pair of our favorite jeans. Find out more here.
