#Donate life apparel how to#

Rips, tears, zipper malfunctions and stains can all be repaired, but if your outdoor gear is beyond the point of repair or is unsalvageable, you'll want to go the recycling route, rather than donating. Dust off footwear, tents and hard goods before sending them off, as well. Wash all apparel, sleeping bags and soft goods before packing them up for shipping.

#Donate life apparel how to#

Learn More How to prepare gear for donation Clean it up You can help outfit Bay Area youth from Outward Bound's partner schools and nonprofits with the outdoor gear they'll need on Outward Bound excursions. Help support the youth of the Bay Area by donating gently used or new gear through Outward Bound California, a nonprofit organization that works to provide education to both students and adults. Used Gear Donation Programs Outdoors for All Here are some of the top programs for donating gently used outdoor gear, as well as some handy tips and tricks for prepping and sending your goods. Plenty of outdoor gear can be recycled, though: programs like Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe and Nike Grind Programs, Earth911 Recycling Search and Green Guru’s Recycling Program, among many others, work to recycle trail running shoes, wetsuits, tents, outdoor apparel and footwear for future use. There are some used outdoor gear items that shouldn't be donated: old climbing rope, for example, poses a safety hazard and should be sent to a recycling center rather than passed along for further use. Recycling gear means giving it to an authorized center that reprocesses old items into raw materials to be re-integrated back into the product life cycle. There's a difference between donating and recycling outdoor gear: donating gear means passing it on to another individual or organization that will continue to use your unwanted items, giving them a second life. You can sell your outdoor gear, sure, but donating gives to kids and adults in need, and can inspire more folks to get outdoors by removing price as the barrier to entry. Should I donate my used gear?Īs long as it's in usable condition, donating your gently-used outdoor gear is a sustainable, easy and beneficial option to give unwanted or unused products a new life.

Thanks to the internet, the outdoor community is now more connected than ever - and with that connection, comes more opportunities to donate gear to a wider variety of enthusiasts that either don't have access to goods, or can't afford brand-new options.