What To Do With Old Clothes: Sustainable Living Tips
As our bodies grow and change our clothing preferences and fit may change. For a myriad of reasons one day you will likely be faced with the fact that you have “old” clothes. Maybe they have holes in them, maybe they no longer fit, or you can’t see yourself ever wearing that piece again. Whatever the reason may be, how to dispose of them is a difference of adding to the landfill or giving them new life.
In 2018 over 13 million tons of clothing ended up in the landfill (1) which equates to 28.6 billion pounds of clothing added to the landfill each year. Another way to look at these numbers is, that’s over 70 pounds of clothing per person in the US headed to the landfill every year.
Tossing old clothes in the trash isn’t the answer, but just packing them up and dropping them off at a random donation center may not be either as only 10-30 percent of clothes donated end up being sold, 70% to 90% of donated clothes end up in the landfill (2).
So what is the answer?
Here are six ideas on what to do with old clothes that are more sustainable than throwing them away.
1.Mend When You Can
Sometimes your clothes will have minor holes or tears that can be mended. You can teach yourself how to mend them, YouTube thankfully has a ton of useful videos out there for mending clothes, or bring them to a local shop that can mend your clothes. This way your clothes can keep on getting many more uses out of them.
Keep in mind that even if you don’t plan on keeping the piece your mending, sending a piece of clothing off to its next life in the best condition possible gives that piece of clothing the best chance at getting a second life instead of it ending up in the landfill.
2. Upcycle Into Something New
If your clothes are beyond repair try upcycling them into something new. From pillows and blankets to bags and slippers, there is an endless supply of posts and blogs from crafters that will give you a long list of ideas and tutorials. You don’t even need to know how to sew to complete a lot of the craft ideas out there.
One very simple upcycle idea for cotton shirts is to turn them into cleaning cloths and rags. No sewing needed. Simply cut up the old cotton shirt into the size cloths you want and get to cleaning.
Keep in mind that if you wouldn’t wear clothing that is beyond repair, no one else will either. Donating it will mean the workers at the shop you donated it to will have to sort through and throw it out anyways. Save everyone some time and don’t donate pieces that aren’t in good condition. Instead try upcycling the clothing into something new!
3. Give To Your Friends and Family
Maybe a piece of clothing no longer fits or is no longer a style you enjoy wearing, but it could fit or be a style your friends or family like. Asking them if they would like anything before selling or donating can be a great option.
You could alternatively host a clothing swap with friends where everyone brings pieces of clothing they no longer want and can swap and trade. Just remember to do something sustainable with the pieces of clothing that didn’t get traded.
If you’re interested in hosting a clothing swap either with just friends or in your community be sure to check out this guide on how to host a clothing swap.
4. Sell
From Facebook marketplace to other online sites such as thredup and poshmark, you can relatively easily try to sell your used clothes that are in good condition. This helps keep your old clothes out of the landfill, gives you a little cash in your pocket, and gives someone else a great new look.
Just remember to sell your clothes that are in great condition, are clean, and don’t have pet hair or other debris on them.
5. Donate
When mending, giving away, and selling don’t work you can always donate. Some thrift stores, like goodwill, can take certain clothing items in good condition.
Just make sure when looking around your local area on places that accept used clothes that they accept the type of clothing you have, some places have very specific guidelines when it comes to used clothes. If your clothing doesn’t fit into the guidelines try to upcycle your clothes rather than “donating” them as they will just be tossed in the trash if they don’t meet the guidelines of the place you dropped them off at.
Also keep in mind that not all charity shops or donation drop boxes are created equal. Do a quick google search to find out about the place you’re donating to. Each will have their own mission and make sure you’re aligned with what they put their money towards. Local shelters may also take used clean clothes so don’t forget to see what your local shelter may be in need of.
6. Recycle
See what textile recycling options are out there. If you have already given away and mended all the clothes you can or have used socks and underwear that can’t be given away, look into textile recycling. Textile recycling can take those threadbare, hole riddled pieces that have no business being donated or given away.
Some charity shops and bins actually accept textiles in any condition to be recycled just be sure to check online or call to confirm if the local bins/charity shops in your area do textile recycling. More and more clothing retailers are doing recycling programs as well.
Nike stores have a recycling program (Reuse-A-Shoe) where they’ll take any athletic shoe brand to recycle, Levi’s, The North Face, H&M also have clothing recycling bins in stores as well. H&M’s program also will take any clothing or textiles from any brand, not just their own. Just call ahead to your local store to make sure they have a recycling bin for you.
Eileen Fisher and Patagonia have programs set up to take back their used clothing where they mend and resell. Check out their websites to learn more. And check out the websites of clothing brands you shop at most as more and more recycling and trade in programs are continuing to pop up.
If none of these options work try simply googling “textile recycling near me” and see what comes up. Some cities have textile recycling programs already in place.
From mending, selling, and upcycling there are lots of ways to keep your old clothes from heading straight into the landfill when you no longer want them. Just remember if you are donating or giving away your used clothing be sure to follow basic etiquette to ensure the best possible chance of your old clothes finding a new home:
ALWAYS clean your clothes - dirt and odors should never accompany a piece of clothing you’re giving to another person
Remove pet hair, lint, and anything from your pockets
Tie shoes together in pairs so they don’t separate
Mend when you can - small holes, lose buttons, try to extend the life of the piece as much as you can
Hand off to an actual person or put inside a bin with a lid - don’t put donations outside in the elements. Any weather or wetness will likely lead to the clothing being thrown away immediately
Remember another human being is touching your clothing, if it’s well past its usability try upcycling or recycling the piece instead
As you continue down your journey of imperfect sustainability remember each step towards building a more sustainable life makes a difference.
Let us know in the comments what you tried!
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