So, you’ve finally got around to ‘doing out’ your wardrobe and now there sits a large pile of clothes you want rid of ASAP! You may be wondering what to do with old clothes that isn’t just throwing them in the bin and sending them to landfill. Well, thankfully there are tonnes of ways of recycling clothes (even the ones past repair!) that will not harm the planet, helping you on your journey to living sustainably…
The fashion industry plays a huge role in global warming and the destruction of our planet. Can you believe that some fast fashion brands put returned items (brand new!) straight into landfill rather than re-selling? Before we decide what to do with old clothes, we must address the initial problem of over-consumption, which is what has led us to this pile of clothing that is no longer our style. To avoid over-consumption, it is important to only buy items you need or ones you see as timeless pieces that you’ll wear for years to come. Reducing our consumption is something to work on going forward, but right now the problem is what to do with old clothes that does not harm the planet. Keep reading for our ideas on recycling clothes and living sustainably…
Selling your unwanted clothing is a great way of recycling clothes by giving it a new lease of life in someone else’s wardrobe (don’t forget the added bonus of some extra cash!). It is so easy to sell your unwanted clothing online now, with the likes of depop, vinted, and other outlets. Don’t forget, you could always set up a stall at a car boot sale and sell a whole bunch of clothing in one morning! Some clothing is undeniably past the point of selling, but not to fret, keep reading for what to do with old clothes that cannot be sold.
Donating unwanted clothing is a great hassle-free way of recycling clothes and giving them a new lease of life. You could donate to charities which not only allows someone else to enjoy your old clothing, but also supports the charity by supplying them with stock to sell. Read this ‘How Charities Work’ blog post to find out what you are able to donate to charities, and how any clothing that they decide cannot be sold is recycled. You could also donate to friends and family by having a clothes party – you all bring along some clothes you no longer wear and swap around!
This one is particularly good for those items that you have simply over-loved and cannot sell or donate. There are thousands of recycling centres and drop-off points around the UK where you can take unwanted clothing and it will be recycled into new products. Click this link to find out where your closest textile recycling point is. However, recycling textiles into new clothing is very rare so don’t be fooled! Our textile waste is usually made into products like wadding or insulation and there is potential for our textile waste to just be discarded.
Upcycling can be such a fun way of recycling clothes by creating something you absolutely love from something you wanted to chuck! It may seem like something you can’t do if you’re not a confident sewer, but there are two solutions to this… You could learn the basics of sewing and give it a go (it is actually very easy!) or look up some no-sew upcycling projects. Tiktok and Youtube have thousands of upcycling inspo so have a browse and be open-minded!
Hopefully you now have a few ideas of what to do with old clothes and how you can even have some fun with it! By making small conscious changes like recycling clothes you no longer want, you are nearing your goal of living sustainably and making more sustainable fashion choices. Let’s make those changes and do better for our planet!
Thank you for reading. If you have any more suggestions, please share them in the comments!
