At some point, you may have wondered… Can I throw old clothes in the garbage?

While throwing old clothes away would certainly be an easy option, it has many negative consequences. Given the materials that most clothes are currently being made from, fabrics take a really long time to break down, as in centuries. Synthetic textiles like nylon, polyester, and spandex can take anywhere from 20-200 years to decompose. Currently, synthetics make up 60% of our clothing. This means that we want to avoid throwing clothes away at all costs in order to not contribute to the millions of tons of textile waste going to landfills every year.

While it’s important to wear and use our clothes for as long as possible, it’s inevitable that eventually something may be worn or damaged beyond repair or reuse in its current form. Clothing can be recycled, but there are some drawbacks to the process. Only a small portion of textiles are actually recycled into something that maintains the same value and level of functionality as their original form. The industrial process of recycling can be intense, requiring a lot of manpower, technology, resources, and carbon emissions. Pieces like denim with metal hardware or shoes with glue and many components require various levels of deconstruction before certain elements of the garment can even be recycled.

Several programs help recycle or repurpose used clothing and personal garments like underwear, bras, socks, and swimwear. These items can be mailed in and are often transformed into materials such as insulation, textiles, or cleaning cloths. Some initiatives offer discounts in return for donations or support charitable causes, including organizations that assist survivors of domestic violence and trafficking. A bit of research online can help you find the programs that best match your needs and values.

Other ideas for recycling clothing include:

• Sell name brand items via online consignment apps.
• See if a local homeless shelter can use the donations.
• Upcycle the fabric in creative ways.
• Use it as packing materials.
• Turn heavily stained and worn clothing into cleaning rags.
• Host a clothing swap party.
• Compost your natural fiber clothing at home.
• Donate to local consignment and thrift stores

No matter how you decide to recycle clothing, remember, it’s more important to our environment not to just throw away clothing that will end up in the landfill.