LiveGreen: The greening of the wear

With colder weather rapidly approaching, it’s the perfect time to clean out your closet. If you happen to decide there are some items you are ready to give up, don’t throw them away. Donating is a more eco-friendly option for discarding these items.

The fashion industry accounts for around 10% of annual carbon emissions and every year uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water — enough to meet the consumption needs of 5 million people. On top of that, around 92 million tons of textile waste is created every year by the fashion industry. You can significantly reduce the impact on the environment created by the fashion industry by only buying clothes you need and donating clothes you no longer want.

You can donate your clothes to many different organizations in Omaha. There is a wide range in what organizations will accept. Some places will buy your clothes in good condition, and other places will accept any type of donation you can give.

Here is a list of places in Omaha you can donate to:

Organizations that will buy clothes in good condition

Organizations that will take donations in good/decent condition

Organizations that will take any donations

Scout Dry Goods & Trade

Scout Dry Goods & Trade

Vietnam Veterans of America

Pretty and Patina

Goodwill

Goodwill

Plato's Closet

Open Door Mission

Open Door Mission

Style Encore

Free The Girls

Soles 4 Souls

Esther’s

Salvation Army

Salvation Army

Another positive aspect of these organizations is that you can shop at most of them and it’s much cheaper than buying brand new. Thrifting/upcycling is a fun and sustainable way to shop and give other people’s discarded items a new home.