How To Recycle Old Clothes and Other Fabrics
When clothes and other textiles have no more life left to live, what do you do with them? I’m talking about items that are torn, stained, or simply worn out – items that no one would be grateful to receive, let alone buy at a second-hand shop. Most people simply throw these cast-offs in the trash, but did you know that textiles are nearly 100% recyclable?
Recycling your old clothes (and other fabrics) is the best way to keep existing textiles out of the landfill, where they take up space, release methane, and leak toxic chemicals into the ground. While you can’t put textiles in your recycling bin at home, there are a growing number of textile recycling options such as drop-off boxes or send-in recycling programs.
Figuring out what to do with old clothes is stressful, but recycling them doesn’t have to be. Once you’ve determined which items can be donated – and which ones can’t – you’ve already done most of the work. To help you take the next step, I’ve compiled a list of the best ways to recycle your fabrics and give them another chance at life.
Photo by Sarah Brown
Why is textile recycling important?
The fashion industry has a huge waste problem. According to the EPA, textiles make up nearly 6% of all municipal solid waste (MSW) and 7.7% of all landfilled waste. In 2018, we generated 17 million tons of textile waste – that’s an average of 104 lbs of textile waste per person (in the US). Granted, that doesn’t mean every person is throwing away that much textile waste: the number is skewed by pre-consumer textile waste, too.
Furthermore, the EPA estimates that less than 15% of total textile waste gets recycled. The remaining 85% is combusted (19%) or ends up in the landfill (66%), where it takes up valuable space and contributes to pollution. Plus, throwing away recyclable material increases our reliance on virgin materials. In the case of fabrics, this means producing more resources such as cotton and virgin plastics.
In the landfill, clothing slowly decomposes, releasing methane and other greenhouse gasses in the process. While most landfills have technology to burn off or recapture these harmful gasses, some inevitably escape into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change in a dangerous cycle known as the greenhouse effect.
Moreover, textiles are increasingly made with plastics and a cocktail of toxic chemicals. During decomposition, these leach out and can end up in the soil and groundwater, posing a risk to environmental and human health. Textile recycling, while imperfect, aims to support a more circular economy, one in which materials are reused as much as possible.
The 7 r’s of textile waste management
Remember our article on the 7 r’s of waste management? Since textile waste is a subset of waste in general, it seems only fitting to revisit these concepts in the context of fashion!
Rethink: The first step to reducing waste related to the fashion industry is reframing your consumption habits. How important is it, really, that you stay up to date on fast fashion trends? Can you swap out cheaply-made items for more durable ones?
Refuse: It’s common for events and businesses to give handouts in the form of “swag” such as T-shirts and hats. Next time you’re offered a fashion freebie, kindly say “no” – unless you know you’ll wear it! This is a good way to hold companies accountable for the things they put out there while simultaneously limiting the clutter that ends up in your closet!
Reduce: Reducing waste naturally means reducing your consumption. When it comes to fashion: buy only what you need, choose quality items, and make your clothes last longer (thereby reducing the need for new ones) by taking care of them! Learn more about how to make your clothes last longer here.
Reuse: It’s high time that we normalize outfit repeating. Clothes are meant to be worn, so wear them! If there are items you no longer wear, there are a lot of ways to make sure they continue being reused: gift, resell, donate, or upcycle them into stuffing, quilts, plant ties, or shopping bags!
Repair: Just because your favorite article of clothing has a hole in it, doesn’t mean it’s ready to be recycled. You don’t have to be a seamstress to mend your clothes, either. There are a lot of simple mending tricks, some of which are covered in this guide. If you don’t consider yourself particularly handy, you can find a willing friend or take your clothes to a professional tailor/seamstress.
Recycle: Notice how recycling isn’t the first thing we think of when it comes to waste? That’s because, while valuable, it’s not a perfect solution. That said, it’s better for textiles to be downcycled into stuffing for pillows or insulation than for them to end up in the landfill! Plus, textile recycling reduces our reliance on virgin materials, making it the best option for items that aren’t good enough to be reused.
Rot: Did you know that there’s a chance you can compost your textiles? If an article of clothing is made of 100% natural fibers (such as cotton or hemp) you can compost it at home. Make sure to cut out any buttons, metal bits, or elastics first. New to composting? Learn how to start composting at home today!
When to donate vs. recycle old clothes
How do you know when a piece of clothing is truly ready for recycling – and when it still has life left to live?
When cleaning out your closet, it can be helpful to sort your clothes not by type, but rather by the value they add to your wardrobe. The first thing you should do is determine which clothes you’d like to keep, with a focus on items that you already wear and will continue to wear.
With the clothes that are left, you can determine whether they would have any value to other people, or whether they are best off recycled. Ask yourself: will someone want to wear this? Am I getting rid of it because I simply don’t wear it as often as I thought I would, or because it’s worn out – a sign that it’s perhaps gone through its expected lifespan?
Items that are still in good condition shouldn’t be recycled just yet. Instead, consider donating them to a local non-profit or thrift store (just make sure they’re accepting donations first). If you’re looking to make a little extra cash, you can resell or consign high-quality items at consignment stores near you or online. The second-hand clothing market is thriving, and there’s a chance that your cast-offs could make someone else very happy.
On the other hand, no one is going to be grateful for your stained, torn, or worn out clothes, so don’t donate them. Likewise, unless still in like-new condition, used underwear, bras, and socks shouldn’t be donated. Instead, set these items aside to be recycled.
Do thrift stores recycle fabrics?
When sending good-quality items off to be donated, it’s tempting to include even the items you know no one will want. Is it ethical to do so? Will those items be recycled, or just end up in the landfill?
While some thrift stores have a process in place for textile recycling, this isn’t always the case. True, Goodwill will never reject anything that gets donated, but that doesn’t mean you should give them your trash. Each year, they spend millions of dollars sending things off to be recycled or landfilled, money it could be using to fund its programs.
Moreover, most thrift stores don’t have the time or manpower to sort through heaps of unwanted clothes, let alone send them off to be recycled. Bottom line, only donate gently used items, unless a thrift store specifically says it will gladly recycle your unwanted items (such as the online thrift store, ThredUp).
How to recycle old clothes and other fabrics
Once you’ve gathered a sizable pile of old clothes and other torn/stained fabrics, it’s time to recycle them. Unlike recycling items like bottles and cans, the fabric recycling process isn’t streamlined (yet). Fortunately, there are a growing number of ways to recycle your unwanted textiles.
Step 1: Wash your clothes
Even if your items are destined to be recycled, they need to be clean. Not just for the sake of the workers sorting through piles of stuff, but also because it’s important that items are clean (and dry!) for the recycling process. If not clean, they’ll likely end up in the landfill, which is what you’re trying to avoid.
Likewise, wet items are a breeding ground for mildew, which can end up affecting a whole batch of textiles bound for recycling. Mildew is considered a contaminant, and can be the reason a batch of textiles is deemed unfit for recycling and sent straight to the landfill instead.
Step 2: Choose the best recycling option for you
Because textile recycling doesn’t operate on a nationwide basis, the same options are not available everywhere. That said, there are a number of online retailers offering textile recycling programs that you can participate in from anywhere.
Here are some of the ways you can send your unwanted fabrics off for recycling:
Textile recycling drop-off
Some municipalities (such as in CA and NY) offer textile recycling (make sure to check with your municipality directly). One company, American Recyclers, has textile drop-off boxes in various locations across 4 states.
Online textile recycling programs
While expensive, TerraCycle offers a number of recycling programs for hard-to-recycle items, including textiles and shoes. Other (less expensive) options include Retold and For Days. The latter will send you a Take Back Bag for $20, which is returned in the form of store credit upon receipt of the bag.
Like For Days, many fashion retailers are starting to offer their own recycling programs. This is good for many reasons, not the least of which is it puts the recycling onus on the creators of the problem. As always, look for transparency in the way the company talks about their recycling program in order to avoid greenwashing.
Here are a few of my faves:
Eileen Fisher: Accepts any items of its own brand, reselling ones in good condition and recycling the rest.
Madewell: Recycles all kinds of jeans into home insulation.
Patagonia: Accepts most (but not all) used Patagonia items. Resold items earn you a credit, while the rest get recycled.
Nike: Accepts any brand of athletic shoes, as well as some other types of clothes and shoes.
H&M: Accepts any type of textile and resells, reuses, or recycles them accordingly. You get a store coupon in return.
Step 3: Enjoy a refreshed wardrobe (bonus: a discount to your favorite retailer)
Knowing that your cast-offs have another chance at life (even if that’s in the form of insulation) makes cleaning out your closet feel that much better. Plus, you’ll enjoy the benefits of a cleaned-out closet, with space for new, sustainable ‘fits from your favorite thrift store or retailer!
Depending on which option you go with, you might even end up with a store credit or discount, which you can use to purchase new items, supporting brands that are doing work towards a more sustainable future. While this isn’t a 100% circular process (textiles can only be recycled so many times), it’s better than your clothes ending up in the landfill!
How do you get rid of your old clothes? What’s your favorite way to recycle those that can’t be resold or donated? Let us know below!
