Planet Aid's yellow bins have large labels that instruct supporters to donate "clothing and shoes only." That is because we specialize in textile reuse and recycling and are not equipped to handle other items. Despite the big labels, we do get other types of donations. But rather than complain about sour lemons, we make lemonade.
One way we do this is by looking for partners who may have a need for the items that people drop off. As an example, in the Maryland-Virginia area we receive many unwanted books in our bins. Of course, we could not bear to throw books away.
Fortunately, the Maryland Book Bank, a local organization that finds new homes for unwanted books, offered to help. The MBB benefits people across the entire state, bringing thousands of free books to schools, teachers, children, and organizations.
See the above video to learn more about this positive, productive partnership.