Decluttering: Where Does It All Go?

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This is our local Savers. I counted four massive trailer containers in addition to the huge trash compactor, all presumably full of overflow donations.

As I’ve recently decluttered my closet, I’ve been trying to decide what to do with my cast-offs (the thrift store seems like a bad idea; supposedly only 10% of donations make it into the thrift store). The stuff that’s in decent shape, I’ve been planning to sell on Ebay. But then I started considering sending everything into Thredup. I’ve sold clothes to Thredup before, when I was shopping my local thrift stores for hidden gems- mostly upscale and designer items. I made a bunch of money this way. But Thredup has changed a lot over the last couple of years, and the payouts aren’t nearly so hefty. Plus the clothes I have to sell now are not expensive to begin with. Most of my things, according to Thredup’s “Payout Estimator,” would only get $.50-$1.00 if I sent them in. But going with Thredup means not having to go through photographing and listing them on Ebay, which can be tedious. And they would have a chance of finding a good home, probably more so than if I donated to the local thrift store. One issue I have with Thredup, however, is that they typically only “accept” for resale about 40% of each bag you send in. They claim the remainder is “reused or recycled responsibly,” but they do not elaborate on what that means. So whether I do Ebay or Thredup, there are bound to be some clothes that have nowhere to go. Some of my things are worn beyond use, and can’t be resold at all. And then some might just be overlooked or unwanted. So what do you do with all that stuff? The thrift store can’t use it and I already have too many cleaning rags. So I guess it’s just another pile of stuff in the trash. And I agonize over this. I attribute a lot of it to seeing that documentary, The True Cost. Upon watching it, I felt a new determination to stop contributing to the incredibly wasteful and unethical fast fashion industry. But it’s moments like these when I wonder if I’m being a bit too literal. I throw away (to the landfill) a couple of garbage bags of waste every week, mostly food packaging that can’t be recycled. And I don’t torture myself over it because it seems like there’s no other practical option. I know there are fanatics out there going “zero-waste” in an attempt to save the planet, but I kind of write that off as people just trying to assuage their consciences. The real problem is so much bigger than whether we use a plastic bag or a cloth one. There needs to be major overhaul in governmental regulations in order to effectively address the climate crisis. Political action and activism is, in my opinion, way more crucial than patting yourself on the back for shunning single-use plastic. Not that there’s anything wrong with doing the little things, it’s just that I think it masks the real problem. I think there’s a point where you’re just trying to say that it’s not your fault that we’re in a crisis. If I didn’t create any waste this month, I can just blame others for creating so much themselves. But it’s not individuals’ behavior that really makes a big impact. It’s government intervention in big business, it’s across-the-board changes in huge corporations that can really put things right. It’s not so much whether or not you buy a T-shirt at the Gap. Maybe it’s a bit of depressed thinking here- feeling that no matter what I do as an individual, it won’t change anything. But I do believe that collective political action can. The problem I find, and that I think so many others find, is that I don’t know how to get involved in an effective way. I’ve been looking into apps that allow you to contact your congresspeople and weigh in on environmental issues. So far what I’ve found is an app called “Countable.” It’s a little tricky to use, especially if you’re like me and tend to bury your head in the sand when it comes to politics because it’s just so depressing. But it does provide background information about each issue and an explanation of the pros and cons of each piece of legislation. So if it’s something you’ve never heard of before, you can educate yourself pretty easily. And it does allow you to vote on individual bills and share your opinions with your legislators. There is also something called “5calls.org” which gives you the specific people to contact in regards to various issues. It also gives you their phone numbers and a script to read to whoever answers the phone, or to their voicemail. I’m certainly no expert and am just learning about these things myself, but I think this is the best use of my energy when it comes to environmental and ethical issues.

But back to the stuff. We simply have to throw some things away. Having a capsule wardrobe hopefully reduces the amount of discarded items you end up with. But when the clothes are still good (they just don’t fit you or suit you anymore), it always comes back to resale for me. Sometimes I’ll see a pair of Old Navy denim shorts on Ebay for $.99 and wonder, why bother taking the pictures when you’re making less than a dollar after fees? And the reason to bother is to find that item a new home. If someone is willing to pay for something, no matter how little, they at least want it and will hopefully use it. But there will always be some waste at the end of an item’s life. Textile recycling is not available in my area and this is where something like Thredup might be especially useful. Since they are a somewhat large company, they may have access to a recycling program that I as an individual do not. So it may be that sending them my stuff is the best thing. I wish I knew what really happens to their discard pile; I will keep you posted if I can find anything out. All things considered, Ebay and Thredup are both good options: Thredup is more convenient, and possibly more capable of handling unsellable items; Ebay gives you more control over individual items, and more money for your stuff. We can all only do our best on an individual level. But part of that is joining in on a political level.