I realize that by getting rid of things, by simply throwing them away, I violate the principles of sustainable consumption and caring for others. We are not all sinless, as it is common for everyone to act in less than ideal ways at times.
There were times when I actively fought against my own laziness and carefully sorted out my wardrobe: what to sell, what to give to those in need, what to throw away and what to keep for myself. Now I have simplified this process by eliminating the charity clause. I will explain to you why this happened.
Charity requires significant effort: you have to wash things, remove stains, correct defects, steam them, photograph them, then store them until they are handed over to the new owner. Communicating with potential recipients is also time-consuming and sometimes frustrating.
If you have enough time and want to help, that’s great. Before, I had both. However, lately my resources are limited, and the mere thought of having to deal with all of this makes me quickly pack up my things and take them to the nearest trash can. There, I at least try to arrange things neatly, which is also a help, even if it is minimal.
Unfortunately, in my city there are no special containers for collecting unnecessary clothes, which would be an ideal solution for environmentally friendly disposal.
Les gens ne sont pas toujours reconnaissants de l’aide. Je ne m’attends pas à des remerciements ou à des cadeaux, mais parfois, donner à une œuvre caritative peut entraîner du stress et de la déception. Il y avait des moments où les gens exigeaient quelque chose de plus même après avoir reçu les vêtements, ou insistaient pour qu’ils soient livrés à un endroit qui leur convenait, me traitant de menteur si je refusais.
Bien entendu, la plupart des gens sont reconnaissants et arrivent à l’heure convenue. Toutefois, les moments désagréables sont les plus mémorables.
Aujourd’hui, j’ai changé mon approche du désencombrement : je choisis les choses telles que je les porte et je me débarrasse immédiatement de celles qui ne me vont pas. Cela me fait gagner du temps et des efforts, mais rend le processus de don moins pratique pour les autres. Maintenant, je jette les choses sans les récupérer pour les transférer ultérieurement.
