How to Discard Clothes Sustainably
When you’re doing a Closet Edit or any kind of cleaning at home, you will be left with a pile of clothes or things that you don’t want to have anymore. This is the “Discard” pile, aka the clothes you will be throwing away. But, wait, that seems like a harsh statement because what you should actually be doing is repurposing, and here is a list of ways to do just that.
Along with the “Discard” pile, you will also have the “Keep” pile (go to my last post about how to restore or store back things in your closet) and the “Maybe” pile (which I will be talking about in an upcoming post).
Back to discarding, at the beginning of the process, most people are a little hesitant as giving something up can feel a little daunting. Clothes have personal value beyond their cost, some pieces have a sentimental meaning to us (some of these go to the “Maybe” pile) and that makes it harder. As we get more into the process, people quickly get the hang of it as they understand that having less is also valuable and somehow gives more value to the fewer things that they are keeping. Wow, that’s a tongue twister but it’s so true, read it again. This is embracing the minimalist lifestyle!
This does not mean however that the clothes we choose to not need anymore have lost all their purpose. The fact that they have lost a place in our lives for any number of reasons (they don’t fit us well, they are run down, the style isn’t right anymore, we’ve moved to be an improved version of ourselves, we’ve worn them too many times, …) doesn’t mean they should just be simply thrown in the trash. As we embrace sustainability, we have to make conscious choices here.
The fashion industry pollutes water only second to agriculture. Landfills are hugely occupied by clothes that don’t degrade easily. The impact is huge. Now, the typical answer to this is to just stop buying fast fashion. This indeed helps but, in the sense, that we aren’t buying clothes one day and discarding them easily the next just because they cost cheap. Fast fashion is affordable for many and giving it up altogether is easier said than done. The trick is to recognize the quality of clothes from H&M or Zara that actually last you 5, 8, or 12 years, as I have many in my closet. There are several things we can do to improve a sustainable and healthy cycle in fashion and here is a list of things to do in the hope of repurposing the clothes you are discarding.
First, you must further classify the “Discard” pile into the following:
Clothes that are in such bad shape (holes, stains, etc.) that you wouldn’t bring it upon anyone else.
Clothes that are in good shape and come from regular stores. This includes clothes you can mend so they are usable again.
Clothes that are in perfect shape and come from luxury brands.
After doing this, you have to do a little research to come up with a list of ways to repurpose (with the Closet Edit service I include a list of places and organizations in your city) depending on the possibilities you have from the previous sorting.
Recycle: it is sometimes hard to actually recycle clothes because of the material, but there are companies that undertake this process.
Upcycle: by picking apart a garment some very creative people remake another garment. You can do it yourself or pay somebody to do it.
Swap: something you don’t want for yourself can be great for a friend or relative with whom you can exchange for something of theirs. Make a day out of it! You can both do your Closet Edits and then do some swapping.
Sell: you can do this by bringing it to a thrift store (you may or may not get money in exchange) or there are websites like Vinted where you personally post your garment and manage the sale. There are even stores that pick up the bag from your home and post the whole batch for you (they return less revenue but it’s quite convenient).
Sell lux: there are other websites like Vestiaire Collective where you can also post things yourself (the process is a little bit more thorough as they will want to check that your clothes are originals from luxury brands). This a good way to get back your investment in expensive fashion items.
Donate: I like to choose organizations that my clients have some attachment to be it because of religion or for a particular cause. After you donate some organizations do the recycling or selling in thrift stores.
This is a rough guide to repurposing clothes that will become a “preloved” item for somebody else. My motto is: be detached enough so that you can welcome new things into your life but mindful enough to know that we are not alone on the planet, what we do impacts others.
Questions? Ideas? Leave it in the comments. See you next week!
