A few years ago I wrote about the massive amount of clothing we toss aside each year and how subsequently it is send over seas to be “dealt with”. I received a bunch of emails about how to recycle used clothing we no longer want or use. One email in particular, though, has stuck with me. It was from One Hundred Dollars a Month reader, Sharon. She wrote:
Hello Mavis,
I really appreciated your post on using up clothing and I thought about putting a comment but I don’t know how many readers read all the comments. I really think it would be wonderful to post how to recycle used clothes with stains, rips ,etc. You could reach so many people!!!
Some places H&M will take clothes in any condition and they I am sure sell them for recycling. Shoes can be recycled. Elle has a whole article breaking up what you can do.
They estimate that the average American throws away 70lb a year! That is heartbreaking all to landfills. I am not one of the save the planet types. But I do believe in recycling and I think most just don’t know that all clothing and shoes can be recycled. I know I didn’t years ago.
Just food for thought. I do love your site it is a highlight for me and has for years.
Have a wonderful day!
Sharon
Sharon’s suggestions seemed like a great idea. So I set to researching all of the ways you can put unwanted clothing to good use {including those pieces that are stained, ripped, etc. and can’t be donated for re-wear.} Here’s what I found.
How To Recycle Used Clothing
Cash for Clothing
There are about a million reasons you might want to get rid of perfectly wearable, in-style clothing. Weight fluctuations, job changes, etc. all mean you might have great clothes you can no longer wear. If you are motivated, you can turn those unwanted clothes into cash.
And, really, who doesn’t like cash? Poshmark and Ebay are a great place to reach a wide audience for your clothing in excellent condition. High-end or popular brands are best of course. You’ll pay a little slice of your profit to Poshmark or Ebay for the privilege of using their site, but it’s better than clothes taking up space in your closet.
Garage sales and Facebook are another way to unload the clothing. If you sell them in garage sales, make sure to hang them up, or display them in a way that makes them easy to sift through. It’s more work up front, but I PROMISE, you’ll sell more in the long run.
Finally, if you have a consignment store in your area, try selling them your unwanted pieces. You won’t make a boatload, but some money is better than no money. The best part about consignment stores is that if you are willing to take in-store credit {so that you can replenish your wardrobe when needed}, you may get slightly more for your clothes.
Donating to Non-Profits
Donating usable clothing to non-profit thrift stores and outreach programs like women’s shelters, homeless shelters, Dress for Success, etc. is a great way to send clothing that is still in wearable condition back out into the world, and help someone else out.
Usually, your donation is tax-deductible, so ask for a receipt. Some places, such as the Goodwill, will take clothes in ANY condition. They sell un-wearable clothing and filter the money back into the Goodwill program.
In some areas, you can even arrange for non-profits to swing by and pick up your donations. So, all you have to do is bag it up, label it with the name of the organization and leave it on the front porch before you leave for work.
Here’s How to Recycle Shoes
Shoes still in wearable condition cant be donated to One World Running . They will box those bad-boys up and send them to Africa, Central America, and Haiti. The shoes can be regular everyday shoes, athletic shoes, cleats, etc.
If your area doesn’t have a drop-off location, consider a shoe-drive and ship them off to one of their closest locations.
If you have athletic shoes that are no longer in wearable condition, Nike has a program that takes old shoes, grinds them up and recycles them into playground mats, basketball courts, tracks, etc.
How to Recycle Non-Clothing Textiles
Clothes are a biggie, but what about things like sheets, blankets and towels? You could, of course, put them into your rag bin, but if your like me, even that gets a little full from time to time. Consider donating them to your local animal shelter.
They use the towels and sheets to provide the animals with a little bit of comfort while they await their new homes. The are greatly appreciated, especially in the winter months.
How to Recycle Unusable Clothing
There are several ways to get rid of unusable clothing without sending them to the landfills. Yes, they will probably end up overseas, but at the very least, it’s a chance to re-use them. H&M accepts clothing donations in ANY condition. In exchange, you’ll get 15% off an item of your choosing.
Did you know some of those old clothes are actually compostable? If they are made from 100% natural fibers {like cotton}, you can shred them up {the smaller, the better} and toss them into the compost bin.
Keep in mind, that even 100% cotton shirts may have polyester thread, so you may have residual thread you have to pull out when the compost is done cookin’. Also, don’t compost clothing that has unsafe stains–such as motor oil–it will do more harm that good to YOU and your food.
So those are my tips on how to recycle used clothing. Make sure clothing is never more than about 25% of your total compost pile, too, or it will take the better part of a decade to break down.
How do you keep your unwanted clothing out of the landfills? Are there any great donation methods that I missed?
~Mavis
Kristina says
Our unusable castoffs go into the rag bin in my husband’s shop, where they are used to wash tractors, mop up spills, wipe hands, etc. All others go to Goodwill or the Hope Chest thrift stores, though I’ve read that they get way too many donations to possible sell there.
I like that some of your examples actually tell you what they are recycling the old shoes/clothes into. I often wonder exactly how curbside recycling programs are using all that plastic (glass and aluminum seem obvious). I know I’ve read that some municipalities don’t actually recycle them into anything at all, just grind them up smaller and put them in a landfill anyway, which is disappointing. I’d like to close the loop, by helping create a market for the types of items that are made from recycled materials. If I only knew which products to prefer, it would be helpful.
Laure says
Some plastic is made into reusable bags. My Earthbound Farms bag (which has lasted for years, and is my absolutely favorite), states that it was made from four 20 oz recycled bottles.
Tons of plastic is recycled into playground equipment. It’s a great use for recycled plastic, as it’s more resistant to the elements (than metal or wood), doesn’t get hot enough in summer to burn a child, is splinter-free, and has some “give” that results in less injuries to kids (in addition to using something that would otherwise end in a landfill, of course).
Claudette says
Thank you so much for posting this! I hate throwing away old stained clothes, but I didn’t know what else to do with them.
KC says
There’s also crafting/re-making for items that still have good fabric in them, but might have a stain or tear to avoid – rag rugs, quilts, potholders, bibs, etc. Some sweaters can be unraveled into yarn and re-knit into something else (if you’ve got the patience for dealing with all the joins). Wool sweaters can be felted and used as fabric (or potholder innards). I’m sure there’s more…
Vickie says
I’m with you. I teach FACS(Home Ec) and we use a lot of recycled fabric. I also twine rugs, make quilts, and patch jeans for people. There is no reason to throw away clothing.
andrea says
I like to cut up fabrics and make as many sewing projects as possible. I even like to cut up old t-shirts and re-sew them into crazy t-shirts. It is almost like joining fabric like quilting, but it does make some interesting combinations.
Cheryl @ Living Design says
I do this too! I recently developed some huge holes in the seat of a super comfy pair of flannel pajama pants — I’ve been turning the fabric into some reusable sanitary pads and makeup wipes! I also have used parts of worn out cotton boxers for projects, since the upper part of the fabric is still typically in great condition.
I do a lot of painting for my job, so I always have a couple pairs of paint pants. These are just regular jeans that have become too worn out for normal everyday wear. As the paint pants develop holes, I patch them. When they get too many holes, they get cut up to patch the next pair of paint pants. It’s a never ending cycle of reusing until it falls apart!
Sara says
My husband is a Captain on a tug boat that pushed fuel barges up and down the Mississippi River. They buy rags from a company that uses old clothes, they cut up old t-shirts, towels, anything! I never throw clothes with holes or stained away, give them to charity, they will be used!
Jaynie says
Old jeans can be recycled into insulation. There are programs like Blue Jeans Go Green.
I am really enjoying your no waste year. It has made me take a different view of how we consume and dispose of things. Keep up the great work.
Jenny says
I use old sheets and clothes to make costumes for school plays. Right now I have been working on 17 costumes and I am done to my last 5.
Trish says
Support your local Buy-Nothing community! (via Facebook) http://buynothingproject.org/
just because you cannot use doesn’t mean others cannot!
Veronica says
I second local Buy Nothing groups and want to add FreeCycle to the list.
Also, The North Face stores near me accept old shoes and they recycle them like the Nike program.
Kelly E says
I used to work at a large car dealership with a garage. We used to purchase bags of clothing rags from the thrift stores in our community. So because of this even if it got a stain I donate it to these thrift stores. Or I guess another alternative would be to just give the garage a call and see if they wanted some rags. I think they sold them for like $3 a garbage bag full. Our thrift store gives back majorly to the community, they donate thousands every year so I like the idea of donating there.
Julie says
At the local Vallue Village thrift store they have a clothes shredder. Last time i dropped off my donations i had a separate bag of a few old jerseys, etc that had my name on them…I asked them if they’d shred them for me. Sure, no problem! I think it then gets recycled. Most stuff I use as rags around the house though.
Heather says
My grandmother loved to make quilts and sewed her own clothing. When her clothes would run a little bare in places, she recycled the fabric. When she passed two years ago, my mother took the scraps (which are plentiful) of her clothing and fabrics to make trim for dish towels. I had a hard time wanting to use mine, but mom promised to make more. I have a constant reminder of a loving grandmother everyday in my kitchen.
Mavis says
I absolutely live that idea!
Mavis says
*love
Courtney Thomas says
Working wardrobes hosts an annual Cinderella day where it provides donated formal attire and accessories to deserving girls for proms and formal dances.
Also here are lots of other links here :
http://www.missminimalist.com/2011/04/where-to-donate-your-stuff-101-places-your-clutter-can-do-good/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+missminimalist+%28miss+minimalist%29
Dawn says
One summer at our state fair, I picked up some pencils that were made out of blue jeans.. blew my mind that they could do that.
Ellen says
I am taking sweaters and men’s dress shirts and making new outfits. You can check out sellers on etsy who are doing this….look for repurposed, recycled clothing. I have sold (not on etsy) several outfits and am hooked. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I know a woman hoarder who has been several different sizes and she has given me 3 bags of clothing and I have turned all but one garment into other garments.
Linda says
Hi Mavis. I wasn’t sure where to comment on Lucy posts. Pugs are notoriously bad about nail trims, and beagles aren’t much better. So it doesn’t surprise me that Lucy does not like her nails done. I know lots of ways to desensitize dogs and train them to let you do things like that, but the easiest way to approach this is to train her to do her own. So help me, dogs that would will tear themselves apart to avoid nail trims will do this willingly and joyfully! This is a write up from my favorite trainer Shirley Chong: http://shirleychong.com/keepers/nailfile.html If you have questions let me know. I made my doggie nail file from a board with the adhesive stair tread stuff. One of my students just used a clipboard with a piece of sandpaper clipped to it!
Catherine Foster says
A friend of mine has used her recently deceased dad’s plaid shirts for quilts. Made one for each of her siblings.
Miriam says
70 lbs a year?? I don’t even buy that much clothing. Why should people buy that much? I don’t donate more than maybe a few shirts a year because clothing to by the time I throw it out, it has holes, stains, rips and seams are no longer holding up, etc.
Ruth Ann Larson says
Please consider going to this site … Days for Girls International. Daysforgirls.org. I cannot think of a better use for used clothing and fabric.
Cass says
I didn’t see a Swap meet mentioned. Just because you don’t want/can’t wear it any more doesn’t mean a friend or friend of a friend won’t love it. This is especially wonderful if children’s clothing is involved. Who doesn’t have a suit or party dress in their child’s closet that they wore once and then outgrew? Gather a bunch of parenting friends, set a time and date and swap away. Donate the rest of the unclaimed items to a local children’s charity. In my area I would donate them to an actual orphanage that is still in operation….no orphanage around? How about a Boys/Girls Club or local church with clothing “pantry” to help those in the community that can’t afford clothing.
Debbi Atkinson says
Thank you Sharon and Mavis!
erin says
My mil holds onto clothes that she would normally donate here until she vacations to a 3rd world country (she’s been everywhere) and packs those clothes. Along her travels she wears them, washes and leaves the clothes or shoes in hotel rooms. She figures the people there could use the clothes and it makes room In her suitcase for souvenirs.
Mavis says
That is the coolest story. I love that she does that. So thoughtful!
Laure says
In some cities (Chicago, Portland, maybe others) there are large bins in public places that state they’ll accept ANY clothes/shoes. These are ground into insulation and sold to car manufacturers. It’s great, because you can donate a single shoe, etc. It’s worth googling to see if there are any nearby options for this type of catch-all recycling.
I also recently saw a tv segment where charities requested that totally unusable clothes/shoes be bagged separately and labeled “for recycling” before donating.
Mavis says
I hadn’t heard of this, but that’s awesome. I’m reluctant to do anything but throw away when Lucy gets a hold of one half of a pair of something! Now I’ll think twice.
Mars says
The company is called GemText that has drop locations for recycling here where I live in the Portland Metro. I have several drop boxes within a few miles of me–very convenient! They have a “find a location near me” function on their site.
Mary Pearce says
I look at clothing we can no longer use — rips that can’t be fixed, stains that won’t come out — as fabric. Some pieces have enough wear left in parts of them for clothes for the grandkids; a pair of my husband’s pants will make a pair of shorts, one of his shirts will make up into a top. I will also cut out smaller usable portions to use for quilts and other projects. Old sweaters can sometimes be unraveled for yarn or felted in the washing machine to make a warm fabric for mittens or sweaters. Instead of saying, “This piece of clothing can’t be used anymore,” look at it in smaller bits to see how you can get more use out of it.
Mavis says
I love that way of thinking. Looking at it in smaller bits is genius!
Meg C says
I have also used old sweaters that I was sentimentally attached to but we no longer could wear or wanted to wear for new pillow covers. I cut the sweaters down and sewed them so they could be used with throw pillow forms. Throw pillows are plentiful and fairly inexpensive at thrift stores/garage sales and covering them in new (to the pillow) fabric is a good way to go.
Aileen says
Here in Ireland we have a fantastic initiative that is addressing this issue of ‘disposable clothing’. I hope Mavis you do not mind if I provide the link. http://re-dress.ie/when-fashion-is-finished-garment-end-of-life-solutions/.
In addition, another small business redesigns, repurposes & recycles fashion – http://www.rediscoverycentre.ie/Rediscover_Fashion.aspx. I have a work dress made by them from recycled men’s suits & I love it.
Mavis says
That is amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Dawn says
I am a weaver and use old jeans, clothes, sheets, blankets etc. Wash them all and cut up and weave them into rugs. Wool clothing is especially nice for this and it is so fun to make something beautiful from something no one wants to use anymore. The more worn the fabrics, the softer and easier the fabrics are to work with.
Mavis says
That is a great way to use them! Love that repurposing idea!
Kristi says
Someone in my area started a “store” for foster kids. They can go and pick out new and lightly used clothing, school supplies and other items. I have also donated to Youth Homes and other charities. Every city should have some place like this! Great idea!!
stephanie hughes says
My son’s school collects clothest o make quilts for the homeless in our town.
Mavis says
That is such a cool idea, and a great way to start having them serve others at a young age!
Heather says
Our local quilt guild makes pet beds (using old pillow cases, etc) and fills them with fabric scraps including clothing that can not be donated which is cut into small pieces.
Kim says
Just a heads up that all Goodwill stores may accept clothing with stains and rips, but that doesn’t mean they won’t end up in a landfill. I found that out when I asked what would happen to the clothing (that had some stains) that I was donating.
I am in a smaller town and still don’t quite know what to do with some of these old, unwearable items- but i guess I’ll look into the H &M option…
Mona R McGinnis says
There’s talk of the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. What about a 4th R: refuse. There’s far too much disposable clothing out there. Closets are full of clothes that don’t get worn; some still have the price tag on. It’s said that we wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time.
Mrs M. says
Isn’t that the 1st R… Reduce. If we don’t make the purchase, we don’t have to figure out how to reuse and recycle.
Margo says
Thanks for this post! For the past few years we have looked at different ways we could journey towards a no-waste lifestyle. Some of these things we already do, but now I have many more ideas and resources to use. This is going to be a print-out article to refer to. What wonderful ideas Sharon, and all who commented with even more ideas!
MB says
Hi! I know that this isn’t free but your post inspired a recycling deep dive, Mavis! We’ve been doing a big clean-out and lots of stuff has gone to Goodwill. We live in a major city so thankfully we can leave stuff on the curb and it us usually gone in a day or two. I found this company that will take all the odds and ends and keep it out of a landfill. You have to pay for a bag so it’s not exactly frugal… but it looks interesting.
https://www.retoldrecycling.com/collections/frontpage/products/sale-6-retold-bags-for-the-price-of-5
Linda says
Almost all my clothing comes from resale shops. 1- I don’t like styles that are out now. 2- clothing now is not made well, I can buy brands that I can’t afford new.
Also, I buy clothing for the fabrics I like and make other things from them. fabric in store is very expensive.
Veronica says
Also:
The Angel Gown program takes old wedding dresses and makes burial clothing for NICU babies that don’t make it.
Becca’s Closet, The Giving Gown, Glass Slipper Project, and others make prom dresses available to financially disadvantaged girls.
Patti says
Because of the issues of too much clothing in our waste stream, I try not to buy anything new but when I do, I have carefully thought it out. (Truth be told, I may never have to buy anything again now that I am retired). I wear what I have until it is unusable and then use for rags. I also use fabric scraps in sewing and even cut it up for stuffing pillows, etc. We have a “Give (City Name)” on Facebook that works much better than Freecycle. People on there are desperate for clothing and it is a great way to be sure that it gets in the hands of someone in need. Not just clothing, but anything. The folks I have worked with have picked it up right away. My daughter-in-law just dyed four pieces of stained clothing with blueberries. she feels like she has a whole new wardrobe! The best thing any of us can do is teach others to sew on buttons and learn to hem pants. I am amazed at how much stuff is thrown away over those two issues.
Judi Y. says
Has anyone heard how Mel is? ❤️
Laura says
Ralph Lauren has a Cashmere Recycling program and will email a free shipping label. For 100 percent cashmere items. Another organization that accepts all sorts of items (clothing, shoes, household items, more) in various conditions is Helpsy. There are groups in CT that accept clothing and accessories for veterans for job interviews -so must be in other states also. Just Google the topic. Good luck and keep on recycling !
Melonie K. says
My favorite is my husband’s t-shirts. He wears them until they develop holes and I snag them for sleep shirts – because he’s gotten them nice and soft. I’m still sleeping in a t-shirt that he got in basic training 20+ years ago. LOL It’s getting to the point where I can’t mend it, so it will be cut down into handkerchiefs. Once those develop too many wear spots, we’ll cut them down to small patch size. We are firearms instructors, so having wee squares of material that aren’t going to deposit fuzz everywhere when we clean things are always handy. And we’ve gotten a lot of use out of every inch of the material before then, so having them thrown away is much nicer for me than buying a bag of patches at the sporting goods store for single uses and tossing.