St. Louis, MO (KMOX) - Have you joined the decluttering trend?
Celebrities like Marie Kondo are pushing homeowners to purge and restore peace and order to their daily lives.
But that means loads of second-hand items are being dropped off at charities and thrift stores.
Some say it's not a blessing, but a burden.
However John Foppe, Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul in St. Louis tells KMOX they always appreciate the generosity of the community and never turn down donations. He does point out, the ministry provides vouchers for people in need to shop, so that does impact what is done with what they receive.
"Clothing for example, we receive a lot of it. We tell our volunteers and our staff that are sorting it, if you wouldn't wear it, don't ask a neighbor in need to wear it," says Foppe. "So if it's torn, or if it's stained, or it smells, or something like that. No we can't put that out on the store floor. For us it's all about the dignity of the shopper."
Yet Foppe says even if items aren't used in the thrift store, they don't necessarily end up in the landfill. He says many items -- including clothing -- are sent for recycling.