Shoes
Why recycle clothes
95% of the textile we make can be recycled into new textile, but we recycle only 1%.
The fast fashion market has been flooded with low cost, low quality, low durability clothing. The rapid obsolescence of inventories with each new fashion wave, seasonal or otherwise triggered, has made the industry the 5th largest contributor of green house gases. 6% of ALL green house gases human kind emits.
"What is the point of any individual action? What dent will it make?" One might conclude it is so insignificant, that it is not worth the effort. But the outcome of collective inaction is not in doubt. Somewhat like voting in a democracy.
How to recycle clothes
Our extended definition of "Recycle" includes the idea of keeping clothes in circulation longer, through repair, reuse, donation or reselling. Recycling garments is inefficient and inadequate even in the most conducive of circumstances, and it is very difficult to parse corporate greenwashing from facts. Instead, extending the life of our clothes is as good as or better than recycling, at least in the short term. It keeps them from landfills for longer and also allows time for the recycling ecosystem to get their act together.
Make money by reselling your gently used clothes, donate to those who desperately need them, prevent them from ending up in landfills.
Check out the curated list of options here. For more options see the Directory links below. Recycling options are rapidly evolving. Revisit us to the stay in touch with the latest.
Clothes By The Numbers
BY THE NUMBERS
...
70 lbs
Annual average purchase of clothes by an individual American
1%
Estimated percentage of textiles recycled into new textile globally
73%
Percentage of clothes that end up in Landfills
95%
Percentage of textiles that can be recycled into new textile globally
6%
Garnents as a percentage of Municipal solid waste in the US
20%
Textile industries contribution to total industrial pollution
2.5 years
Years a human can survive on the water required to produce one cotton shirt (2700 litres or 713 gallons)
6%
% of total global Green House Gases contributed by the Apparel industry
Ready?
Regardless how to choose to sell your clothes, ensure they are laundered or dry-cleaned and as well presented as you can make them. “Button buttons, zip zippers and fold them like a store would”.
Local initiatives and neighborhood donation drives might be an effective and convenient way of donating your garments. The lists below gives you some control over the cause you want to support. Several names under the Returns listing on this page also end up donating what you return. We have removed several interesting listings that shut down during Covid.
If you go for manufacturer take back programs, there is some level of greenwashing, but these and other companies are making the right moves. Most of them over produce, no declared plans of what they do to clothes taken back and also not everything is Ok for takeback. If clothes get wet during shipping they are discarded for fear of mildew.
Click on the company logos to get to their websites
For Days
They accept all textiles, including socks, underwear, sheets, pillow cases, towels, linens, shoes, and handbags in any condition. Ripped, torn or stained, your oldies will get a new life with the help of recycling partners and be diverted from landfills.
Order a Take Back Bag, clean out your closet, and send your filled bag to For Days. You'll instantly earn $20 in Closet Cash credit towards your next purchase. The bag measures 24 in x 24 in and fits 15 lbs.
Yellow Pages
Over 27 Million Businesses In The United States with reliable customer reviews, business hours, directions, maps and more. Type “Recycling” and your Zip Code for local listings.
Orphan Life Foundation
Mission statement of their COP (Clothes for Orphans Project: “We plan to collect usable clothing items and shoes and distribute them among orphan children”. They will pick up donations.
Second life for clothes that your kids so quickly grow out of.
Terracyle
Free recycling programs, which are sponsored by brands so you pay nothing to participate. Several programs for difficult to recycle items.
Pay it forward. Keep your items from Landfills. Zero Waste Boxes, which are available for purchase to recycle almost any type of trash. Box price ranges from $35 to over $1000 depending on box and recycling specifications.
Green Citizen’s Green Directory
Their Motto: “Find the best solutions that help you make every day earth day” Type in the item you want to recycle and your Zip Code for local listings.
Asics
Use any shipping box, print and paste a pre-paid shipping label and ship via UPS. ASICS bears the shipping cost.
Asics in partnership with Give Back Box will donate usable apparel and responsibly recycle the rest.
State and City Recycling Directories
For example: Detailed information on the Massachusetts mass.gov website
Dress for Success
Donations of gently used women’s professional attire and accessories. It accepts footwear, jewelry, accessories, scarves, handbag and such. This requires hosting a donation drive.
Their mission is to support women become financially independent, professional attire being a key contributor.
Goodwil
Donate your clothes for responsible distribution to the most needy.
Add to the nearly 2 million individuals impacted in 2021 alone.
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