When streamlining your closet, clearing it of clothing you no longer use, if it ends up in the trash, it ends up in landfill. In the U.S., 14.5 million tons of textiles were landfilled and incinerated in 2018 – clothing being the main source.
What to do?
Donate: a rule of thumb when you’re thinking of donating is would you give it to a friend? If you would, then donating is fine. If not, it’s probably not going to be worn by someone else.
Textile Recyclers: local textile recyclers take many items, even mismatched and stained. While some are only interested in commercial quantities of textiles, others offer an at-home collection. Worth investigating!
Fashion Retailers: some fashion retailers will accept clothing donations in their stores. H&M and Zara both offer donation bins as part of their environmental commitment. Both brands accept unwanted clothes from any fashion label and in any condition. Some retailers offer credits when bringing in their own brand. This Marie Claire article lists the options with 20 brands.
What happens to recycled clothing? There is no guarantee your clothing will actually be recycled. Some will be shredded and used as insulation. Some goes through a process where it is split up into a fine fluff and then compressed again to be used in the automotive industry, in car bodies.
Resale: there are businesses that allow you to resale your fashion forward clothing. Poshmark and Fashion Forward are a two of them. Fashion Forward also donates to women’s causes.
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