Our visit to Overflow Thrift Store, a local nonprofit in Ames, Iowa, was especially meaningful because it is where I have donated my unwanted clothing throughout college. During the visit, we heard directly from Overflow’s Senior Operations Director and got a behind the scenes look at what happens after donations are dropped off. We learned how items are sorted to be resold, recycled, or passed along to other organizations. I learned that Overflow resells and recycles more than 600,000 pounds of material each year that could otherwise end up in a landfill.
 

One of my biggest takeaways was how important accessibility is to sustainability. Making donating easy and convenient encourages more people to do it, which is exactly what Overflow provides for the Ames community. Seeing the process firsthand was so fascinating and showed me how much of an impact resale and textile recycling can have when people are given an easy way to participate. This visit made sustainability feel much more realistic and showed me how simple actions are make a meaningful difference.