There’s something that’s always bothered us about the way clothing waste works. You clear out your closet, you mean to donate it, and then life gets in the way. The bag sits by the door for weeks. Eventually it ends up in the trash.
The EPA estimates the average American throws away over 100 pounds of clothing every year. 85% of it ends up in landfill. Not because people don’t care, but because the easier option is always the trash.
That’s where we come in.
You simply add a Clothes and Textiles Collection to your order, pack your unwanted clothes and shoes into your own bag, leave it on your doorstep alongside your empties, and we’ll take it from there. No Goodwill run. No tracking down a drop-off bin. Just an easy way to do the right thing, right from your door.
How it works
- Add a Collection to your next order
- Fill your own bag with your clothes, textiles, and shoes
- Ensure your bag is labelled or marked clearly for Modern Milkman collection
- Leave it on your doorstep with your empties on delivery day
- Your driver collects it and passes it to our partners at Helpsy, where every item is sorted and given a second life
What we can take
- Clothing
- Shoes (paired)
- Handbags
- Accessories
- Comforters / blankets
- Sheets / pillowcases
- Curtains / drapes
- Towels
What we can’t take
- Dirty items
- Wet items
- Pillow inserts
- Rugs / carpeting
A quick note: All items must be clean and dry. Everything must fit in a fully closed bag. Maximum weight 15 lbs per collection. One bag per collection order only.
Why Helpsy
We wanted a partner who takes this seriously. Helpsy is a certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation whose mission is straightforward: clothes aren’t trash. They’re the only certified B Corp in clothing collection, and it shows in how they operate.
In 2024 alone, they collected over 32 million pounds of clothes, shoes, and other items. 95% of what they collect finds a second life, resold to thrift stores, donated to local organizations, or recycled into materials that go on to live another life. Counting only the clothes resold at retail, their work saved over 4 billion gallons of water and over 600 million pounds of CO2 emissions from new clothing production.
The community impact runs just as deep. In 2024, Helpsy donated over 5,000 coats to local organizations, hosted 354 community clothing drives, and paid more than $500,000 to charities and municipalities. They’re the official textile recycling partner of over 60 municipalities across the Northeast, saving those communities more than $1.6 million in waste disposal costs.
Keeping clothes in circulation matters beyond landfill diversion too. When clothing is redirected back into the secondhand market, it makes quality items more accessible and affordable for communities that rely on it. Everyone at Helpsy earns a living wage and is a shareholder in the company, nearly 70% of their workforce is diverse. This is a business built to do good, all the way through.
It’s a small act with a broader ripple. And now it starts right on your doorstep.
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