Spring is a time of renewal, a time of new beginnings, and a time of purging. A lot of us get the spring cleaning bug at this time of year, and while simplifying our lives is inherently a good thing, it’s not as simple as placing our unwanted items in a box and throwing it into the void. This applies to decluttering your kitchen, your home office and your closet.
So the question becomes: “How can I get rid of the clothes I no longer want sustainably?” In this article we highlight five ethical and sustainable ways to dispose of your unwanted clothing.
- Post on Resale Apps
A lot of people worry that their donated clothes will end up in landfill. After all, what if no one in the charity shops wants your items? One way to avoid this is to sell your clothing to someone who actually wants to buy it. But how? By using resale apps. Resale apps are great because you are selling an item of clothing to someone who is excited to buy it. This ensures that your clothes are going to a good home where they’ll be reworn and given a new life, rather than spending months sitting unwanted in charity shops before finally going to landfill. Resale apps and websites that are worth exploring include Depop, Poshmark, Mercari, Vinted, ThredUP, eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Not interested in the hassle of selling? Another great way to get rid of your clothes is to utilize “no buy” Facebook pages, where people post items they no longer need and anyone in the group can claim the item and pick it up for free.
2. Host or Attend a Clothing Swap
Looking for a way to dispose of your old garb while also connecting with like-minded individuals who care about the planet? A clothing swap is the way to go! You can organize your own clothing swap with friends or coworkers, or find local swaps where you live. Slow Fashion Movement occasionally hosts clothing swaps, and you can also search online for events happening near you. The exciting thing about a clothing swap is you may even find a few pieces for yourself that you can give new life to!
*Use images from Slow Fashion Movement’s clothing swap in Chicago*
Personal style coach and consultant Holly Chayes explains how clothing swaps and exchanges are almost like matchmaking: “You almost want to play matchmaker – matching a piece of clothing that doesn’t work for you with someone who will love it.” This works especially well when hosting a clothing swap with friends. When getting rid of clothes, ponder if an item matches your friend’s size and sense of style.
3. Upcycle Clothing
Maybe the solution isn’t to get rid of an item. Maybe the solution is to reinvent it. Styling coach Julie Murrell encourages her clients to try out the art of upcycling clothing. Murrell explains, “I have found upcycling to truly deepen my relationship with my wardrobe as I’ve become much more creatively invested in finding ways to make garments work for me.” Giving clothing a personal touch or completely reimagining their potential not only makes items feel new, but special and important as well. When we love an item and have emotional investment in it, we tend to take better care of it.
Upcycling can look like: Using old T-shirts as rags, Using a scarf to wrap a gift, Turning a worn pair of jeans into denim patches to add to your clothes, Turning a pile of old shirts into a patchwork bag
4. Recycle Your Textiles
Maybe you have clothes that don’t quite resemble clothes anymore… we’ve all been there! While donation centers like The Salvation Army and Goodwill do NOT want your stained, ripped and heavily worn clothes, there are textile takeback programs that do.
You don’t need to live by a recycling center to use this technique. There are plenty of textile recycling programs online. For instance, Retold Recycling is a company on a mission to keep textiles out of landfills. All you need to do is purchase a packing bag from their website, fill it with your unwanted items (think single socks, worn-out bras and tees that have seen better days), and mail the packet back to Retold. It’s that simple! Retold has saved over 150 tons of textile materials from landfills. You can contribute to that impressive number by recycling your old textiles too.
5. Donate with Intention
This article is not meant to deter you from donating to your local charity shops. It is, however, important to know your facts and figures. American publication The Atlantic shared a statistic that charity thrift stores only sell roughly 20% of the donations they receive. Donated items that don’t sell at second-hand stores most likely end up in landfill or are shipped to developing countries that are already overwhelmed by textile waste.
Lisa Rusyniak, President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake smartly explains, “if you wouldn’t give it to a friend, pause before you donate it.” This is an excellent rule of thumb when deciding whether an item should be donated or sent to a textile recycling facility instead. If you don’t think an item is in wearable condition, chances are that others won’t either.
Rusyniak also points out the power in donating locally, explaining that “sustainability isn’t just environmental – it’s social and economic. It’s about building a circular system that benefits the whole community.” Donating your items to community-based non-profits makes a positive local impact. Just be mindful of what you are donating and the condition of each item.”
All five of these options are great ways to dispose of unwanted clothing. Ideally, using all of these techniques is the most effective way to get rid of items that no longer serve you. So, why not try hosting a clothing swap with friends, recycling those unwearable jeans hiding in the back of your closet or selling that concert tee you never wear on Depop?
With all these amazing options, disposing of clothes sustainably has never been easier!
