CLOTHING, SHOES, & ACCESSORIES
Clothing fads come and go, in fact bell-bottom jeans have been around a few times now, but one thing that doesn’t change with clothing is the ability to get creative when you are done using them. There is a wide range of options from repair to creative reuse to recycling for old clothing and textiles. So, the next time you are thinking of pitching those old jeans, consider these things first:
Repair: holes, broken zippers and missing buttons can all be repaired. Local fabric stores carry the necessary repair items like patches for DIY’ers, or take your clothing to a tailor or alterations store. National brands are getting in on the repair trend also. Patagonia, for example, has a program to repair their clothing.
Creative Reuse: If your item is beyond repair, the textile scraps can be used to make new items. Pinterest has hundreds of ideas posted from "how to make throw pillows out of old t-shirts" to "10 fun and practical ways to reuse socks." Fashion designers are also influencing the industry with their alternative approach to confronting textile waste. Check out this article from the Smithsonian.
Donation: In the last decade an explosion of thrift stores have opened up across the country, strengthening the reuse economy and ensuring that almost any community has access to a donation center. Large-scale Nonprofits and Charities like Goodwill have also expanded their business to sell items in online stores, improving convenience and availability for all. Clothing that is still in good, wearable condition is usually dispersed to the need through Charities or resold in retail storefronts. Purple Heart, in partnership with donatestuff.com, will also take donations of gently used clothing. They offer mail-in and curbside pick-up options for donations. Visit their website to schedule a donation.
Textile Recycling: EPA estimates that the generation of textiles in 2018 was 17 million tons with a recycling rate for all textiles of 14.7 percent or 2.5 million tons recycled. Clothing that is torn, stained, and unwearable can be donated to certain donation centers like most Goodwill stores. National brands such as Levi’s have recycling bins in their stores that accept denim, which is used for building insulation. Clothing that does not have resale value is separated and broken down into its basic fibers at a reprocessing center so that it can be used as filler for furniture and other textile applications. Check with your local thrift stores and charities to see what clothing they accept for recycling.
Whatever you do with your old clothing, give them a second chance. Like bell-bottom jeans, they might just come back in style again!
