DTWNews

The mobile app helped donors in more than 50 U.S. cities on Saturday, May 2. App users could order an SUV to come to their home to pick up any bagged clothing donations, which were taken to the nearest Goodwill free of charge.

Uber is a popular service that allows users to find rides, as an alternative to a cab service. It’s generally available in major U.S. cities, where the spring cleaning initiative also took place; most notably, the clothing drive appeared in areas like Detroit, Dallas, Denver, and Miami.

Not only did Goodwill and Uber services in Detroit help the needy this Saturday, but so did Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids and others around Michigan.

Last year, Uber and Goodwill had teamed up in New York for a spring cleaning initiative. A successful clothing drive in Boston and San Francisco last fall pushed the two groups into a partnership once again.

David Plouffe, Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy at Uber, said that he was glad his company was teaming up with the charity. “Both Uber and Goodwill strive to make a meaningful impact on local communities, and we are thrilled to once again team up with Goodwill to make donating fast and easy for Uber users,” Plouffe said in a Goodwill press release.

In addition to accepting clothing donations, Goodwill also helps people in need get training and job placement in their communities, thanks to the charity’s donation programs.

Not only does Uber’s ride sharing program help to save on carbon emissions from vehicles, but the work done with Goodwill and other charities helps to curb pollution, too.

Used clothing donations are especially important because they help reduce the amount of clothing that gets thrown into the trash. Because Americans buy about five times as much clothing as they did in 1980, according to The Atlantic, textile trash grew by 40% between 1999 and 2009.

Americans donate around 14.3 million tons of clothing and textiles each year, all of which goes toward helping families in need all over the world.

However, more can be done, say groups like the Environmental Protection Agency, who call clothing one of the least recycled reusable materials.

Kim Zimmer, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of global development for Goodwill Industries International, hopes that the partnership between Goodwill and Uber will help more people see the value of donating clothing.

“This collaboration has made Spring cleaning and donating an easy task, while ensuring that their clothing is not only diverted from landfills, but also goes toward supporting efforts to put people back to work,” Zimmer said in the Goodwill press release.