Have clothing waste? Here's what you should do with it
The fashion industry is always growing and changing. New trends and fads appear in a flash and disappear just as quickly, making room for the next must-have item. In the never-ending whirlwind of prints and fabrics, it can be easy to forget that the clothing we wear is made by human hands, and that garments are one of the top five imported goods at risk for human trafficking in the G20.
Fashion has an impact beyond the human trafficking industry; it also affects the global ecosystem and economy. The creation of clothes uses a lot of resources, from textiles to millions of gallons of water. The industry accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UNECE. 8,900 tons of clothing and footwear were sent to a landfill in 2017, some even being burned to increase brand value and reduce overstock. The annual value of prematurely discarded clothing is more than $400 billion. All of these numbers are not very glamorous.
On the Dressember blog, we have discussed how shopping second hand can help you avoid clothing that has been touched by slavery and keep clothing out of landfills, reducing the demand for fast fashion. Thrifting is an ethical and sustainable way to shop for clothes, get rid of items you don’t want or need, and refresh your closet.
However, second-hand stores and donation centers cannot always take every item you give them. What happens to items like old underwear or t-shirts that are just too worn out to be resold? How can consumers consciously get rid of the items that second-hand stores won’t take without throwing them out?
As it turns out, many donation-based stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, for example, take care of unwanted items themselves by reselling, repurposing, or recycling. Ask your local thrift store what happens to unwanted items next time you donate. Ethically getting rid of clothing waste could be as simple as dropping it off at a donation center!
There are also steps you can take yourself to ensure your clothes don’t end up in the landfill. There are tons of creative ways to repurpose and upcycle old clothes and turn them into quirky, unique DIY projects—from beanies to upholstery.
You can even repurpose your old underwear. 100% cotton underwear can be tossed in the compost bin without worry, but other pairs can be useful for household projects, transforming into washrags, scrubbies, potholders, and even rugs! Use fabric from old underwear as pillow stuffing, or turn it into a patterned hair tie or scrunchie. Spice up your denim jacket by sewing a patch into it from an unwanted pair of undies—it’s just fabric!
If you’re not much of a DIYer, there is still hope for your unwanted clothes. Many stores and organizations have created clothing recycling programs, including SMART Association, H&M, USAgain, and more. Afound rescues clothes that would have otherwise been thrown away and sells them at a discount. While it is currently present in Sweden and the Netherlands only, Afound looks to expand and “save money, save tomorrow, and save fashion” in more countries in the coming years.
Your waste affects more than just you—it affects the workers who made your clothes, the global ecosystem, and the global economy. Next time you “Marie Kondo” your closet, consider the ways your unwanted clothing waste could be repurposed or recycled. It’s a small sacrifice for you, but it makes a big statement to the fashion industry: I will not tolerate the unethical production of the clothing on my back and will not feed into the wasteful cycle that powers fast fashion.
About the Author
Emma Pitzl is a senior at the University of Minnesota pursuing a degree in English with a minor in psychology. Her happy place is anywhere with a lake. Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, running, playing volleyball, and curating too many playlists.