Economic Impact
All the clothing collected by Recycle for Change is sold to second-hand clothing dealers and graders both in the USA and abroad. We use the funds to provide grant money to our supported programs.
Affordable Clothing
According to EPA estimates, over 75% of the world's population relies on second-hand clothing as their only wardrobe option. A vast majority of the clothes end up in countries with very high poverty levels, where they are bought by people who cannot afford to buy new clothes.
Job Creation
Along the way many jobs are created in the used clothing business. Recycle for Change employs 26 employees at our facility in Richmond. In the countries where the clothes end up, a varitey of jobs are created from distribution warehouses to marketplace sales in a small rural African village in the countryside.
Source of funding
Recycle for Change utilizes clothing collection and sale as our main source of fundraising. Many people are very generous, but the economy does not allow for them to write a check. We find that clothing collection is a way everyone, in every financial situation, can make a difference.