Everyone hates those sketchy garbage donation bins that have been popping up more and more on our otherwise clean streets, but just because that particular way of donating clothes is a sham, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t donate clothes at all. The folks at WNYC crowdsourced a few ways to legitimately donate your clothes to people who aren’t just making a quick buck off of your big heart and good intentions.
1. Legit collection bins: It turns out that there are donations bins that aren’t run by crooks. Goodwill has drop-off bins, and re-fashion NYC has some of their own as well.
2. Greenmarkets: Next time you’re planning on idly shopping for produce on a lovely Sunday afternoon, bring some old clothes with you, because New York’s greenmarkets run by GrowNYC are a legit clothing drop-off spot.
3. Get it picked up: You’re a busy guy; you don’t have time to actually hike down somewhere with a bundle of clothes like some kind of idle do-gooder. Well, the Salvation Army will pick up your clothes for you if you just call them and work out a pick-up time.
There’s plenty of other ways to actually do good instead of lining some huckster’s pocket, so check out the other ways WNYC found to help out that aren’t a bunch of scams and flams.
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Honestly, I don’t really care what happens to the clothes I donate. They’re going to be recycled or resold somehow, even if a “legitimate” group takes them. Those illegal bins are much more convenient than other options. The nearest charity drop off for me is a little over two miles away and not convenient to public transportation. The nearest green market is 4 miles+ and would require a transfer while I’m dragging my clothes around with me. The one time I managed to get the Salvation Army to pick up clothing, I had to wake up at 7am on Monday and call a toll-free number to arrange for a pick up. It took nearly six weeks to have my clothes taken away because they were booked up.
If you are thinking about donating to the Salvation Army, or buying from one of their stores, you should be aware of their homophobic policies. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zinnia-jones/the-salvation-armys-histo_b_4422938.html