Pac-Rat does our part to help save the environment and conserve energy and water by consigning items and selling second-hand clothes, furniture, home goods and jewelry. Did you know that Pac-Rat also has a great fundraising program as well? Yep! What don’t we do?!
There is a slew of other eco-friendly fundraising options also. To make it easier for people who are curious or organizers of their own fundraisers, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of our favorite ideas!
Used Clothing Drive
Here’s a no-brainer, and one of our specialties – a used clothing drive! We can’t stress enough how many resources you can save by buying used clothing. Did you know that just one pair of jeans takes 1,800 gallons of water to make? That is, quite literally, more water than you could possibly consume in 5 years. Clothing production alone is also responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions. That percentage does not include any textile production. By purchasing a used pair of jeans you have just conserved almost two thousand gallons of water. You have also reduced your carbon footprint. Need we say more?

Used Books Fair

Here’s another favorite – a used book fair! It is usually pretty easy to come up with a good amount of unused or unwanted books. It is also a fantastic way to recycle them so that they may be loved again. Plus, who doesn’t love the heavily discounted price? Just think of all the adventures and information that could be at your fingertips. You will also save paper and reduce landfill space.
Used Electronics/Ink Cartridge Recycling Drive
Did you know that electronics and plastics are produced using harmful chemicals? Those chemicals could seep into the ground and water supply if not disposed of properly. The metals used to produce them are also extremely valuable and highly recyclable. Do not pass up the opportunity to recycle them. There are several companies like Recycling Fundraiser that buy back old but valuable products. Consider it for products like cell phones, smart phones, tablets, and other devices and consider Funding Factory for used ink cartridges for recycling.

Reusable Shopping Bags

Have you ever been in the checkout line at a store and marveled at the amount of plastic or paper bags you just used? How much plastic or paper could have been saved if you just had some reusable shopping bags? We have! So, to make it easier for people like us, why not host a reusable shopping bag fundraiser? Mixed Bag Designs is just one company that has a variety of reusable item options available. They also have many fundraiser options to make it super easy to get started because we love to help the environment and make things easier too.
Eco-Friendly Market
Everyone loves a fun craft fair. So why not host one as a fundraiser? You could also use it to highlight various small business makers that create retail store-equivalent products without the carbon emissions. You can also showcase larger brands that focus on eco-specific products. It is easy to charge the vendors a set fee to have a table, and even a small entry fee to customers. As a result, everyone wins, including the environment.

Rummage Sale

This is really just another term for a large-scale garage sale that operates a lot like a craft market! You can bet a lot of people have plenty of gently used items they would love to part with. They just lack the time to figure out what to do with them. They also do not have the time or energy to make it happen. A rummage sale fundraiser can help them solve both of these problems as they can donate their items. Donating means the items will not go to a landfill and they are contributing to a good cause.
Food Wrapper Recycling
TerraCycle has programs that make it easy to recycle items that are generally left out of normal recycling streams. These items are usually harder to recycle, but TerraCycle can make that happen. These items include the generally omnipresent item, food wrappers, but does not have to stop there. You will just need a large space to store the items and a few volunteers. After the collection you and your crew can sort and count items for recycling.

Fair Trade Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, Cocoa, Olive Oil, etc.

The good thing about this fundraising option is these are all items people actually use! Normally, your average chocolate, coffee, tea, and/or cocoa is notoriously often produced using barely legal labor. Having the items come from Fair Trade organizations ensures peace of mind and doubles the good of your cause! Companies like Equal Exchange makes this easy and profitable with up to 40% profit.
Seed Growing Kits
Earth day is April 22, right in the thick of spring. In South Dakota, what better time of the year is there to host a seed fundraiser? Companies like High Mowing Organic Seeds have great fundraising options and a high profit margin of 50%. That is pretty incredible profit to help the environment.

Meatless Monday

It is no question that the meat industry is one of the leading causes of carbon emissions and takes an egregious amount of resources to house, feed, and ultimately process the animals. So by promoting a plant-based diet to help combat the toll on the environment, you could host a Meatless Monday fundraiser. Challenge families to donate the amount of money they would normally spend on meat for a day or even a whole week!
Lastly, partner with Pac-Rat for your fundraising needs. We are trusted in the community and are committed to helping our planet for future generations. Find out more about our fundraising options and lets do this together.