The start of every February also marks the start of National Secondhand Wardrobe Week typically on the second week of the month, and there’s no better place to help prepare you participate in this movement than right here at Goodwill of Central Iowa! your local source for all things thrifting and sustainability!

Forming intentional habits and methods can be one of the most emotionally fulfilling things you can do in a time where life is ever changing, overwhelming and overstimulating. While it may seems like a daunting task, you don’t really need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to secondhand shopping or sustainability. The idea is simple, Secondhand Wardrobe week aims to highlight the fact that clothes can last for years if they’re used and reused properly. Just because a piece of clothing is from a past season or no longer follows current trends, that does not mean it is devoid of quality or purpose and that it should end up in a landfill!

When treated properly, clothes can have a second, third, fourth and fifth chance at life, they can last for as long as you need them to. In our modern age, we have many solutions at our disposal that allows us to place more in the pieces that we choose to spend our money on and wear every day as we experience life. If you find forgotten pieces in the back of your closet, drop them off at your nearest Goodwill of Central Iowa store and they will find their way to someone who might have been searching for them! In the process, pick up a pre-loved piece of your own that someone else might have left for similar reasons! Intentional consumption habits like this allow for less textile waste in our landfills, less pollution, more environmental impact, more community support and more money saved.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average person throws away 81 pounds of clothing per year. That adds up to 3.8 billion pounds of unnecessary waste added to our landfills. Our work together here at Goodwill of Central Iowa allows us to divert 18 MIL pounds of gently used items from local landfills annually. By donating and shopping, you’re helping Goodwill of Central Iowa to deliver positive social and environmental outcomes as well as personal satisfaction of decluttering your space. Any piece of clothing you thrift is a piece of clothing that would have ended up in a landfill somewhere, and any time you’re able to pick up a piece from a clothing rack at Goodwill of Central Iowa, you have a lasting impact on the planet and your local community, no matter how miniscule it may seem!

Consider these steps this year to celebrate Secondhand Wardrobe week in your community:

  • Visit a thrift store! Visit our store locations page that can be found here for a convenient full list of stores.
  • Donate your pre-loved clothing pieces to a Goodwill of Central Iowa near you! Allow the pieces that no longer resonate with you a second chance at sparking joy for someone else.
  • Become more educated about the environmental impact of textile waste and fast fashion.
  • Find more information about how you can support Goodwill of Central Iowa’s mission of making purposeful employment for all through shopping or donating!

This Secondhand wardrobe week is a reminder that non-wasteful fashion can be the more fun, impactful, and affordable. Grab a friend or your favorite beverage and indulge in the fulfilling activity of shopping secondhand!