By Gloria Magallanes 

Opinion Assistant 

There are many ways we can make our lives better by adopting habits of sustainability. One of them is by donating and shopping. Yes, I do mean shopping.

Instead of heading over to the mall or your favorite store, drive to your local thrift store and check it out. I encourage you to become a recycler of more than just plastic water bottles and cans – get creative. One way you can do that is by donating your clothes.

Don’t throw away the things that you no longer want, especially if they’re in perfect condition. Many times we have clothes hidden deep in drawers or hung in the back of the closet. What can you do with those? It’s actually pretty simple. Instead of throwing your perfectly reusable clothes away, put them in a box and drive to your local thrift store. Every thrift store has a place where you can drop off your old stuff without any questions or interferences. You can donate your clothing, shoes, books, electronics, CDs, movies, etc., the list goes on and on. You can be sure that your stuff will be bought and reused by someone else in the world.

The other thing you can do, as mentioned before, is shop. Personally, I love to thrift. About 80 percent of my clothes comes from thrifting. The trick is to be, first of all, very patient. After a while it becomes easier and somewhat natural. With time you’ll be able to know where and when the “good” stuff will be. Not only do you get extremely cheap and brand clothes, but you also get to be creative and create your own style. The awesome thing about shopping at the thrift store is many times you find items that cannot be purchased anywhere else. It adds a “one of a kind” sense to your style. Not only will you walk out of that store with a bag full of clothes, but you will also be a contributor of recycled items.