Community's well-meaning response to disaster causes unexpected issue: 'A little overwhelming'

We often say that "it's the thought that counts" when trying to do something nice. However, when it comes to sending donations following a natural disaster, too much can be a bad thing.

In the aftermath of the most recent wildfires in California, volunteers have gone above and beyond to donate clothing. The nonprofit Collidescope Foundation worked fast to set up a relief center. However, despite the organization's rapid response, it quickly began to fall behind on sorting the donated clothing, Next City reported in a piece shared by AOL.

Olivia Peay, who serves as the volunteer coordinator at the foundation's donation center, commented on the surge of goodwill. "The clothing donations that we have received have been a little overwhelming for us, especially with our capacity here in this space," Peay told Next City. "It's been difficult to try to find more distribution centers that are willing to accept these clothes."

While clothing donations come from a desire to help, being aware of what you send is important. Annie Gullingsrud, Trashie's chief strategy officer, said she has seen this type of waste over and over again.

"This is what happens during a natural disaster — there's excess clothing donations," Gullingsrud said. "They're mishandled, right? They're put into some storage or they're set somewhere. They get moldy; they end up in landfill."

Gullingsrud's best advice on how to limit textile waste is a mixture of common sense and practicality. "What we recommend is, donate what you would wear," Gullingsrud noted.

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Another major culprit in the increase of textile waste is fast fashion. Designed and priced cheaply, fast fashion involves making clothing as quickly as possible to stay current with trends.

While that sounds good for our bank accounts, fast-fashion clothing can be discarded just as quickly as it is made, so shoppers end up buying significantly more over time. According to a report by Business Insider, fast-fashion production is responsible for 10% of all global carbon emissions.

Textile waste may be scary, but you can do plenty to help. Here's a guide to help you ditch fast fashion and limit the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

Should grocery stores donate food that's past its sell-by date?

Yes — as long as it's not bad 🤢

Yes — but only certain foods 🥫

Only if it doesn't cost the store 💸

No — it could lead to problems 👎

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

To get a head start, you can head to your nearby thrift shop the next time your wardrobe is in need of replenishment. By skipping pricey retailers, you can save money and find high-quality clothing that would otherwise wind up in the trash.