There isn't much that can beat the feeling of donating clothes, books, and home goods to charity. I love decluttering, reusing, recycling, and if it can make some money for a charity at the same time I think we all end up winners!
I do sometimes wonder if they can really use my stuff though. Am I making a difference or do they just toss it when it doesn't sell. Well, most charity shops in the UK can at least sell all unsold textiles (you can donate your real old rags, for this reason), and earn money that way too. The textiles are sold to companies which can sort and use them in a variety of ways. This means that even if no one wants to buy your out of fashion garments they won't end up in a landfill. Another win-win, if you ask me.
And check this out. Next time you donate in a UK charity shop, they might ask you if you want to Gift Aid your donation. If you are a UK taxpayer you can sign a form stating that you want the charity to receive the full amount on the goods they sold, rather than having to pay the taxman. When I signed up to the scheme at the British Heart Foundation a few months back, they gave me a card with a unique reference number. A couple of weeks ago they sent me an e-mail to tell me that so far my goods have earned them £37! And here I was wondering if I was making a difference....
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