Clothing is a very easily recyclable resource that can be repurposed in many different ways. Currently textiles are believed to make up around 5.2% of landfills. Discarding old clothing and textiles is fast becoming the rarity, as more and more people are either donating, recycling, or even reselling them.
Donating clothing
Thrift stores are a great resource for those who want to get rid of old clothing, as well as people interested in purchasing clothes at a greatly reduced price. Most places will accept just about any clothing that has been used, either by dropping it off during business hours, or by finding a drop-off bin around town. When you donate, it can also be a write-off on your taxes by receiving a donation receipt with the total value written down. For a basic value estimate of your clothing, check the Goodwill Valuation Guide.
Recycling clothing
All clothing, no matter how worn, can be given to recycling centers for processing. It needs to be dry when it is dropped off. Textiles that are brought to recycling facilities are then sorted into color and fabric, shredded, and then repurposed for many different products including mattresses, car insulation, roofing felts, loudspeaker cones, panel linings and furniture padding.
Repurposing clothing
Textiles have a lot of uses around the house when they get old and worn. Old shirts can be ripped into sections and used as cleaning rags, which also helps cut down on paper towel consumption. Creative individuals can find ways to take old clothes and transform them into toys for kids and animals, dryer balls from old socks, even quilts made from denim squares!
