Donating Your Old Clothes Just Got Hassle-Free

My whole life I've donated clothes to Savers when I didn't want them anymore. This is something my parents always did while I was growing up and it stayed with me. My wardrobe has recently become so saturated that I'm trying to implement a "new item in, old item out" policy. Swedish menswear retailer Uniforms for the Dedicated now has 'The Rag Bag,' a biodegradable shopping bag that makes donating used clothes a no-brainer.

The Rag Bag is sleekly designed and reversible. One side is white and reads "Buy Something New: Turn Me Inside Out and Donate Something Old." Flip the bag inside out and it becomes black with the text "Donate Something Old." The bag is pre-addressed and postmarked, so all the consumer needs to do is take out the new garment, turn the bag over, replace with something old, seal up the bag, and place the package in the mail.

DDB Stockholm, the company behind the design and manufacture of The Rag Bag, explained the mission statement on the Cannes Lions 2014 website:

We consume too much. With this in mind, we wanted to find a way to convert every purchase into something that would do good in the world. We wanted to influence brands and consumers, and help them take a practical stand for sustainable fashion, recycling and social responsibility.

Once the package has been mailed out, your donation makes it's way to a charity that passes your garment along to someone in need. The Rag Bag eliminates the middleman and makes donating tremendously easy for the customer. Hopefully this will encourage even the laziest of shoppers to contribute. This is a brilliant idea and from the looks of the website, you can get a Rag Bag without actually shopping at Uniforms for the Dedicated — although I would certainly encourage checking out the wares because this is a company that deserves support.

Check out this video to learn more!