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Spring clean for change: How can my brand turn unused apparel into community impact? 

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Everyone wants to make a difference in the world. But sometimes, tackling big issues like poverty and the environment can feel a little overwhelming.

The best way to make a real impact is to help where you can. Change doesn’t always require grand gestures—often, it’s as simple as decluttering. And a seasonal ‘spring clean’, whether at home, in the office or warehouses, can uncover valuable items that others desperately need. Hosting a shoe and clothing collection with Soles4Souls is a simple, effective way to energise your employees and repurpose these unused goods. It helps you cut down on landfill waste, provides opportunities for people in need and makes a big difference in your community. Best of all? 

It’s super easy to get started. 

 

What is a shoe and clothing collection? 

You might think that shoe and clothing collections are best suited to apparel manufacturers or retailers. And while these brands can hold valuable collections by donating excess, unsold or returned stock, the reality is that any business with generous employees can help get precious goods to people in need. After all, most people own many more shoes and clothes than they wear. By hosting a collection, you can put all of that unused apparel to work.

In this instance, a shoe and clothing collection is where you ask your staff to bring any new or gently used footwear and clothing to your workplace. A Soles4Souls representative will assist you every step of the way, sharing all the resources you’ll need to invite participants and maximise your impact. Once collected, simply box up your donated goods and deliver or ship them to one of our warehouses. Then, we’ll take care of the rest. 

 

How does a shoe and clothing collection help?

Around 92 billion kilograms (or 203 billion pounds) of textiles are wasted around the world each year. But a lot of this waste is still in excellent condition and could be repurposed. In fact, donating your shoes and clothing, rather than throwing them away, reduces their CO2 impact per wear by extending their lives for at least 15 months. 

Meanwhile, securing a reliable income is not easy for many people in low-income countries. What if you could help change that—empowering them with the resources to build a better future?

Shoe and clothing collections support the Soles4Souls mission of turning shoes and clothing into opportunity for people. All of the collected shoes and clothing from your appeal will go into our 4Opportunity programme, helping to break the cycle of poverty for those in need. When your donations arrive at Soles4Souls, they are sorted and, together with their partners, determine where they need to be sent to make the most impact. Since 2006, donations from shoe and clothing collections have helped create thousands of jobs in 53 countries across five continents.

By participating, donors like you care for people and the planet in four crucial ways:

  • Create opportunity: The gently used shoes and clothes you collect get funnelled to low-income countries, where people start small businesses to sell them.
  • Generate income: By selling these products, business owners have money to provide for their families—and people who need shoes and clothes the most get them at a price they can afford.
  • Provide relief: Funds generated through the 4Opportunity programme help run 4Relief and 4EveryKid programmes, supporting direct assistance for disaster relief and aiding those suffering from poverty across the world. 
  • Protect the environment: By repurposing discarded shoes and clothing, you divert them from landfills and help promote sustainability.

 

What’s in it for my business

Alongside real community impact, your shoe and clothing collection can significantly benefit your own business, too. Shared employee experiences towards a common good will help to strengthen your workplace’s community. Through a culture of teamwork, leadership and social impact, your employees will feel a deeper connection to your business’s values—boosting morale and job satisfaction.

In fact, according to a Deloitte survey, as many as 95% of employees believe it’s important that their employer makes a positive community impact. Another 91% of survey respondents said volunteer opportunities can have a positive impact on their overall work experience and connection to their employer, with 87% considering them a factor in their decision to stay with their current employer or pursue a new one.

A shoe and clothing collection is a rare example of a genuine win-win: you’ll strengthen company culture, increase employee loyalty and enhance your employer brand, all while making a meaningful difference in the world. Just ask those involved:

“Soles4Souls is more than a lesson in giving back—it’s a lesson in how easy it is to make ripple effects with small changes. It’s not just about shoes, it’s about changing lives. Actively participating in that process with my daughter has taught us both valuable life lessons and given us an opportunity to make meaningful change.” 

– Holly Maddox, Soles4Souls volunteer 

 

What’s the easiest way to get started?

You can launch your collection simply by asking your employees to bring in any gently used shoes and clothes that they no longer need. At Soles4Souls, we accept all styles, types and sizes of donated goods, as long as they are gently worn—we even accept mismatched shoes and one-shoe donations.

A single pair of shoes, or a single piece of clothing, can change a life. So, why wait? Register your shoe and clothing collection today and take a giant step towards impact. 

 

If you’d like to know more, please contact masjav@soles4souls.org.