Your tires are bald, your engine is making noises that are more than a little disturbing, the windshield is full of cracks, and your passenger door doesn’t quite shut all the way. It might be time to get rid of your old clunker. You could try to sell it, but that would mean having to distract the buyer as he or she starts the car so they don’t notice the cloud of blue smoke coughing out of the muffler. There is a better way to get rid of your car, and there is – just possibly – another reason to consider putting that old car to rest.

On April 22, the country officially celebrates Earth Day – a day to take time out and consider (and either appreciate or worry about) the current condition of the environment. Whether you are “green” or not, this is a good time to consider the little things that you could do to improve the situation. Earth Day doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way and start planting new trees in and around the city, but perhaps this is the time to consider getting rid of a gas guzzling clunker.

Car donations can be beneficial in many different ways. When you donate a car to charity it will usually be sold at auction, or it will be broken down into parts that can be sold off. Of course, if it isn’t sellable, it can always be recycled. Whatever the final destination of the car, you will be able to provide some value somewhere with that old vehicle. The proceeds from the car will benefit the charitable organizations, you will be eligible for a tax deduction, and you will be removing an inefficient vehicle from the road. That’s three great reasons to consider donating a car.

If you have been looking for that one more reason to donate a car to charity, think about the upcoming Earth Day and decide whether or not this is the time to move away from those old and inefficient vehicles, help people in need, and, in a small way, improve environmental conditions.