If you want to donate clothes and don’t know how, the chances are you aren’t going to donate at all! However, there are so many great reasons to donate clothes and all it takes is a little effort! I’ve put together a few simple steps that you can easily follow to do something good with those clothes you no longer wear.

What do I need to donate clothes? You need the clothes themselves (as well as any shoes, accessories, jewellery and so on) and some bags or boxes to put them all in.

What to Do Before You Donate

1) Firstly you need to sort through your clothes. This is often the hardest part, as you need to be brutally honest about things that don’t fit you anymore, things that you haven’t worn in years, things you no longer like, or things that you are just never going to wear. Could anyone else benefit from these? The chances are that they can! And this is why you should be donating.

2) Now you need to get your clothes ready to be donated. You could just donate dirty, damaged items. But if you want to be eco chic and self-conscious then be nice! Clean any dirty shoes with a wipe, wash any clothes that really smell or look dirty, do whatever needs doing. It isn’t completely necessary, it just shows you’ve spared a thought for those volunteers who are going to sort through them.

3) Now it’s time to pack up all of the items. Fold them neatly so they’re all ready to be donated.

When It Comes to Donation Time

There are a number of different ways you can donate the clothes you’ve sorted:

Clothing Bins – These are such a convenient option, found anywhere from high streets to supermarkets! It’s so simple, just pop the bag of clothes into the bin through the appropriate hole!

Charity Shops – This is a common option. Great if you want to choose a specific cause that your donating clothing is going to help out. But don’t just leave your clothes out on their doorstep, vulnerable to damage of the elements and general public! Go into the shop and hand them over to the volunteers.

Online – Yes, the internet is now providing a solution to everything. Just do a quick search and you’ll find loads of places that can help you be more eco conscious.

Conclusion

Are you still not convinced that you should donate clothes? Then get yourself onto some eco friendly fashion blogs to read just why it will help so many people, including yourself. And all for just a few hours worth of effort!

Hydro-power has been used for a variety of functions over the years. It was used in flour mills, where water-wheels turn a shaft, that ground the flour, and even in irrigation system thousands of years ago. These days, it has a more prominent role as a renewable source of energy.

There are three methods to producing hydro-power: hydro-electric energy, tidal energy. and through ocean waves.

Hydroelectric dams:

This form of hydro power accounts for over 90% of all renewable energy generated. Power is generated in large dams, where water is forced through large turbines.

The advantage of this type of power is that not only does it produce electricity, but the dam helps collect water for our use, so it’s a power and water source in one. Furthermore, the force of the water is so strong that megawatts of electricity can be produced to help power entire cities.

However, many governments have come under scrutiny for using hydro-electric dams. These dams tend to flood a lot of land where thriving communities live. They can affect various plants and animals in the region, and cut-off the water supply for communities living downstream.

Tidal Power:

With tidal energy, hydro-power is generated as the tides comes in and goes out.

This has been achieved by France and Russia since 1966 in areas with a large tidal range, such as bays and estuaries. One of the systems of tidal power works by trapping water at high tide with a tidal barrage, then releasing that water in one quick burst at low tide. This gushing water drives turbines to produce power.

Although the tides are very predictable and consistent, the problem with this system is that the turbines only operate every 6 hours (once every tide).

The latest tidal power system operates where large windmill-type turbines are placed in shallow water, and spin slowly as the tide comes in and goes out.

The nice thing about this tidal system is that the technology is advanced and derived from our land-based wind turbines. And water is much denser than air, meaning it takes only a small current to get the turbine spinning.

The drawback is that the current systems can only be built in shallow water, where tidal activity is greatest. This is very limiting since many other economic activities – like oyster farming – occur in the shallows. Furthermore, these structures can damage marine life on the seafloor.

Power from the oceans waves:

This is the youngest of the three hydro-power solutions. The system harnesses the power from ocean surface wave motion, where air displaced by waves is driven through a generator than spins a turbine. The end result is electricity. These generators can either be coupled to floating devices outta sea, or fixed along the shore where seas are rough.

What makes this technology so appealing is it potential to harness over two thousand megawatts of power that the ocean’s waves contain.

However, wave power systems do have environmental concerns. Their hydraulic fluids could leak out into the ocean, causing water pollution. And the fixed structures on the coastline, can damage the natural plant and animal life on the seafloor.

Conclusion:

Man has developed innovative techniques to harness the power of water to produce electricity. But, like most renewable energy solutions there will always be social and environmental impacts.