Celebrate Earth Day: Recycle Your Car by Donating It
April 22, 2022
We are quite literally all in this together.
While larger corporations and governments are the ones who really have the power and resources to educate and instill change in a significant way, don’t think that your independent actions don’t matter when it comes to protecting the environment. The first official Earth Day back in 1970 inspired 10% of the U.S. population at the time to act by protesting and spreading awareness on practices that negatively impact public health and the environment. That very first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the first of many environmental laws that have since protected millions from disease and death and many species from extinction.
Every revolution starts with a single person or group of people inspired to create change.
Now there’s a good chance you already recycle, use reusable bags at the grocery store and/or maybe even compost your leftover food. But have you ever thought about outside-of-the-box ideas for you to do your part and give back? For example, you could choose to ride your bike or use public transportation to minimize your carbon footprint. Or you could stop using single use plastics like shampoo bottles and laundry detergents and start supporting businesses that make bar soaps and reusable containers you can re-fill.
You can even choose to recycle your car by donating it if you no longer have use for it or if you decide to cut back to one car instead of two for your family. More and more families are considering this option as gas prices continue to rise.
In Baltimore, there are currently 81,000 low-income households without cars. And of those families, many cannot get better paying jobs because of a lack of transportation options. Therefore, recycling your car could help the environment as well as families in need. Vehicles for Change has had the honor of giving 7,500 cars to those in need and 75% of recipients have then been able to land better jobs and/or increase their earnings. And 100% of recipients were able to take their children to sports practices and games and other after-school activities.
Do you have a car that you’re not sure is in good enough condition to drive and therefore don’t know if it’s worth donating? No problem. In the case that your vehicle doesn’t meet reliability standards, our team at Vehicles for Change simply spruces up the vehicle, selects an auction partner where the price will be maximized, and assigns a minimum bid value to ensure it isn’t sold for less than a fair price. The proceeds allow our team to prepare more cars for low-income families.
If you feel inspired to recycle your car by donating it to a family in need, there’s good news: it can be done in three simple steps.
- Fill out a donation form here or call 855-820-7990.
- Schedule the pickup and prepare your vehicle.
- Meet the tow truck on pickup day!
Lastly, Vehicles for Change offers donors a much greater tax advantage than most vehicle donation programs. 99% of charities in the United States use donated vehicles for revenue only. We repair and refurbish donated vehicles to the best of our ability as our core strategy. Many donors can claim the full fair market value of their cars as their deduction if the car is given to a family.
If you’re unable to recycle your car by donating it at this time, consider making a one-time monetary contribution or on a recurring basis to support the work of Vehicles for Change by visiting our website.
This Earth Day, ask yourself how you can do your part to ensure a healthy environment for all to enjoy. Whether you decide to donate your car or eat a more plant-based diet, every bit helps.
