We’ve all been there - doing the big wardrobe declutter, feeling very Marie Kondo, only to let bags of clothes sit in the car boot for months, after too many "I'll take it tomorrows".
Instead of waiting for however many 'tomorrows' you might need, people all over NZ can now chuck those bags into someone else's car, with the promise they'll go to a good cause.
The NZ Red Cross is holding a clothing drive on the 19th of October, and you don’t even need to leave the house - Uber will make the trip for you.
So, as you plan your next wardrobe clear-out this month, sort the drab from the fab and securely package up your high-quality, saleable clothing and accessories into a bag.
Skip the worn-out or dirty items (and definitely no underwear). Think, if it’s good enough to give to a mate, it’s good enough to donate to the drive.
If you’re like me and have hoarded three years worth of hardly worn items, you may need multiple bags or boxes, because they’re capping the weight limit at 20kg.
Once you’ve got that sorted, the hardest part is done! Anytime between 10am and 4pm on the 19th, Uber will take care of the rest.
People in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch can book the special trip by scrolling to the ‘Red Cross Clothing Drive’ image, setting it as the drop-off spot, and sending off your clothes for a new life for FREE.
If you can’t find it, go to Package, search ‘Red Cross Shop,’ pick the first option, and confirm.
According to research from Uber and the Red Cross, the average Kiwi regularly wears only about 30% of their wardrobe - and my washing machine is probably all too familiar with those regular cycles.
As for the rest, there’s around $1.45 billion worth of high-quality, unworn clothing gathering dust in wardrobes across the country.
While many of us do a wardrobe clean every six months, 63% of donated clothes sit in a bag for over two weeks before being dropped off, with over 13% waiting more than four months. That’s a lot of ‘tomorrows’ piling up!
Emma Foley, Managing Director of Uber ANZ, says the Clothing Donation Drive is a great opportunity to support the Red Cross and remove the hassle of travelling to a charity shop to donate clothing.
[This way] makes it simple, convenient, and free to send donations where they’re needed most, helping New Zealanders to give better and easier.
Last year’s drive which saw 56,000 kgs of clothing donated.
Now that you have space in your wardrobe, you never know what new gems you might find while thrifting, like the Kiwi who discovered a vintage dress now in a museum or the lucky person who snagged an Armani suit for just $20 at a Red Cross store.
Right, that’s it! I’m off to have a clear-out and make some space for new thrift finds.
