Excess. Wastage. Over-consumption. The number one concern for the well-being of planet Earth as well as us, as individuals. Our lifestyle is cramped by excess amounts of… well, anything. Let it be food, gas, clothes or any other resource. And one of the most important is the clothes. Our cupboards are filled with clothes with new ones incoming often but nowhere to let go of the old ones. We need an outlet to dispose of old clothes, that too, in the right way. Just disposing of them isn’t enough as they end up in landfills ultimately, and when they break down they release harmful greenhouse gases. So, we need a proper plan to recycle old clothes.

Firstly, we need to set some ground rules. One, we must buy only those that we need. Our shopping-for-fun is costing us more than that meets the eye. Therefore, refuse to over-consume. Two, we must reuse every one of our clothing multiple times. Reusing is good. Wanna see how I reused & restyle a saree that was purchased a decade ago. And number three, Recycle old clothes the right way. You decluttering your closet should not bother the environment, there is a right way of decluttering and disposing of them. Here’s how!

Recycle Old Clothes

You know I’ve started “The Green Planet Challenge” some time back and this is another way to liven up the planet. You can follow my Instagram where I’ll be posting about what helps our planet and what doesn’t.

Okay then, let’s see how.

1. eBay

To recycle your used clothing, there are three alternatives. Either you must keep using it, or reselling it, or donating or recycling into rags (this is where the clothing recycler comes). And for the second option, eBay is something to consider. This is one such platform that many recommended to recycle old clothes. With this option, you will get back some money and also you will be doing something for a worthy cause, so it’s a win-win. Create an account and sell up to fifty items of clothing every month. Later fifty, you need to pay a fee.

2. Amazon Giveback Box

This is also one of the simplest ways to recycle old clothes. You just have to put your old clothes in a box and attach a label downloaded from the website and that’s all. It’ll be shipped for free. The shipping charges will be borne by the partners, not you. So, I guess this is something anybody can do with the most minimal effort. Make use of this Giveback box and create an outlet for your used clothing. But the only disappointment is it’s not available in every country.

3. Cloth Recyclers

Research about the clothing recyclers in your city and donate all your unwanted clothing to them and they will make the best possible recycling for them. You can stay in touch with them and every time you have a bag of clothing to dispose of, they will collect it at your doorstep.

4. Poshmark

This and the next one are also somewhat better options, although you must make sure it’s available in the country you are staying in. Just as eBay, Poshmark helps you resale your unwanted items of clothing and make money while you are at it. These are fashion recyclers and they only accept high-quality clothing.

5. ThredUP

ThredUP is just like Poshmark and eBay, it will resale your old clothes. But as I said, they accept in-style, trendy, high-quality items. It’s not limited to just clothing, they also take accessories and footwear. Those items that are not accepted by them, you can give permission to donate them and they will do it for you. Or else you could also ask them to return to you. Again, it’s not available in every place, make sure you check that and if it’s not possible, try recycling your clothing through any of the other ways listed here.

6. Visit your nearest NGO

Gather information about the NGOs and orphanages in your city and donate your used items of clothing. This is a surefire way to make sure your generous donations are helpful for someone. This will also take the least amount of time to get prepared. All you need to do is just grab your old belongings and donate. It will take hardly a few hours but the satisfaction you get out of it is so much. One, you will be helping someone and two, you are making a small impact to make this planet better.

Else, you can also pass on your clothing to someone in your community. To your siblings, cousins, friends, servants, or someone in need that you know of.

7. H&M Garment Collecting Box

I recently came to know that H&M has a fashion recycling program. You can visit any H&M store near you and leave off your old clothes at the H&M garment collecting box next to the cash counter. They accept everything. It can be any brand, any outfit, and in any condition. They specifically mentioned that they receive anything from old socks to worn-out T-shirts. If you have an H&M store near you, I think this will be your best and easy bet. Out of all, this is the easiest way you can recycle your old clothes.

8. Thrift Stores

Google and find if there are any thrift stores near you. They take secondhand commodities. Leave your old clothes at a thrift store and they will resale them for you. Like the H&M garment collection box, this is also a very convenient option to recycle old clothes.

 

So… that’s it. Decluttering is very important and these are some of the ways you can recycle your old clothing and a million other ways can also be found if you have the heart to do it. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

Let me know if you happen to know any other ways to recycle, I’d love to know and share with the other readers.

Adios!

Hasta Luego!

Lots of LOVE,

Nikki.

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