Do you have clothes in your closet that you no longer have use for? From clothes that are too small, old, or outdated, most people have at least some portion of undesired clothes in their closets. Most Americans end up throwing away these unwanted clothes–an unfortunate decision that, believe it or not, leads to environmental harm.

When fabrics are transformed into waste and trash, the process of decomposition releases harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Fortunately, there is an easy solution to this growing environmental problem. This solution involves the direct recycling and donation of clothes.

From February 16th to the 27th, Recycle 4 Cause is holding their second annual clothing drive, in which they collect reusable clothes from students and donate them to Mary’s Kitchen. Mary’s Kitchen is a non-profit organization that serves the homeless individuals of Orange County by giving them food, supplies, and clothing. By donating clothes to Recycle 4 Cause’s project, you are giving the clothes a chance to be reused and worn by citizens in Orange County who cannot afford buying new clothes. As publicity chair of Recycle 4 Cause, Terrell Shaffer (10) expresses, “I think people should donate their clothes because there are lots of other people who aren’t fortunate enough to have nice clothes like we do. It’s also really easy because you can simply donate gently used clothes that are unworn. Basically, it’s a really great way to give back to the community.”

All students can participate in helping our community by bringing clothing donations and by dropping them off in Mr. Walls’s room 408. Any pants, shirts, dresses, shoes, etc. can be donated as long as they are in clean, wearable condition. Due to the growing amount of homeless individuals in Orange County, it is important that our community comes  together to help one another in any way possible. Recycling clothes is definitely an effective way to help both the community and the environment.