Fast fashion has left landfills heaping with discarded clothing as trends fly in and out of style faster than ever before. Rather than throwing away your clothing articles that you’re no longer wearing, what else can you do?
While donating the clothing to a shelter or a nonprofit is always an option, sometimes you have clothing that might have sentimental value or have a stain or tear that would keep it from being given away at the donation sites.
In these cases, you might need another option for your old clothing. So what can you do with the items other than throw them away? Read on to find some great tips!
T-Shirt Quilt
This has become a bit of a classic way to recycle clothing – specifically sentimental shirts. Maybe you’re someone who really loved their time in college or high school and your shirts from sporting events or competitions bring back fond memories. However, life moves on and after you’ve graduated you often don’t find yourself wearing these shirts as often. Rather than storing them or throwing them out, you can make them into a T-shirt quilt!
“T-shirt quilts are pretty popular among people who have been a part of a team, school, or organization for a lengthy period of time,” says Hector Gutierrez, CEO of JOI. “So rather than buying another throw blanket at the store, explore how you could make these shirts into a unique blanket for your couch, bed, or guest room. There are even companies that will do this for you for pretty reasonable prices.”
Reusable Grocery Bags
Save the planet while recycling your clothing by creating some reusable grocery bags. This is a super simple project that doesn’t even require a sewing machine. Simple patterns are available online and you can usually complete one in a fairly short amount of time.
“With some cities and areas banning plastic bags or starting to charge for them, it’s a great time to create a stockpile of reusable grocery bags,” says Gigi Ji, Head of Brand and Business Development for Kokolu. “Plastic grocery bags make up a large amount of waste. This is one of those things you can do that really makes a difference for our planet. Simply switching to reusable grocery bags can save anywhere from 3-700+ bags from going to the landfill each year.
Stop Drafts
Looking to be a bit more energy efficient during the winter months? Look at making a draft stopper out of old jeans or heavy materials. You can stuff these draft stopping tubes with shredded pieces of other clothing as well. This not only saves the clothes from making their way to the landfill, but it’ll lessen your energy usage too!
“Draft stoppers are fantastic ways to save energy while also recycling your clothing,” says Haim Medine, Creative Director for Mark Henry Jewelry. “If you don’t have particularly drafty windows or doors, consider making some to donate to a food bank or other charity that could distribute them to people who need them in your community.”
Upcycle
Upcycling has become a bit of a trend over the past few years and we’re in full support! Searching for this on Tiktok or YouTube will bring up hundreds of results for inspiration. Upcycling typically involves taking outdated clothing and turning it into something that you could wear again. The possibilities really are endless!
“While many examples you’ll see online of people upcycling clothing involves a trip to the thrift store, you can do these projects with the clothing articles you have sitting around your home,” says Sumeer Kaur, CEO of Lashkaraa. “Many of these projects involve turning dresses into shirts, transforming tops, and getting creative with smaller pieces.”
Cotton Cloths
While this sounds like a boring option, it’s actually one of our more environmentally friendly options on the list. Cutting your cotton clothing into different-sized cloths can provide you with an abundant supply of reusable cloths to use around the house.
“Cotton is an extremely versatile fabric,” says Breanne Millette, CEO of Bisoulovely. “It’s great to use for cleaning surfaces if you’re trying to avoid leaving streaks and it can be used for personal care as well. Try creating small squares to use as makeup removing pads that can be reused, unlike the disposable cotton rounds.”
Rag Rugs
Rag rugs are a fun way to spruce up a room if you need to. Simply cut the fabric into strips and braid or knot them together. These mats are super simple crafts that can be done alone, as a social activity, or a project you add to over time.
“Rag rugs are a great way to add a boho or cozy feeling to a space. Each one is unique based on the colors of clothing you use to weave and braid them together,” says Eric Elggren Co-Founder of Andar. ”There are also a lot of homeless shelters that will accept donations of rag rugs to distribute to the homeless around your city so they have a mat to sleep on.”
Reusable Food Wraps
We’ve all probably seen these for sale in the supermarkets or advertised online, but did you know that you can make your own? By saving your clothing and purchasing just a few ingredients, you can create reusable food wraps and keep your clothes out of landfills at the same time!
“Ditch the plastic cling wrap and try creating your own reusable food wraps out of cotton and some basic ingredients,” says Cesar Cruz, Co-Founder of Sebastian Cruz Couture. “Use beeswax and follow any of the simple instructional guides online and you’ll have your own reusable beeswax wrap for food in just a few minutes.”
Decorative Pillows
Pillows are one of those things that seem to be expensive for no specific reason. The purpose of throw pillows is to make your space look more like you and your style, so what better way is there to save some money and incorporate your style by using some old clothing to make pillows?
“There are a few different methods that you can use to create a decorative pillow out of your clothing,” says Karim Hachem, VP of eCommerce for Maxine of Hollywood. “There are patterns out there to make pillowcases to cover some pillows you already own, you could make a patchwork pattern and stitch different patterns together, or you can make it obvious that it used to be an article of clothing by leaving some defining features like buttons and pockets on the finished design.”
Conclusion
There are a ton of different options for you to explore when it comes to recycling your clothing to keep them out of landfills. These options also give you some great ways to save money, help your community, and save the planet in other ways too.
Reusable grocery bags, reusable food wraps, draft stoppers, and cotton cloths can reduce your impact on the planet while also keeping your clothing from ending up in a landfill.
Donating rag rugs can help your local homeless population and many of these other suggestions could be made and distributed as an effort of humanitarian aid as well. Think creatively and look at how your old clothes could make life easier for someone else.
There are also some fun and crafty ways you can reuse these old clothing items to keep them out of landfills. T-shirt quilts, decorative pillows, and upcycling projects are great ways to pass the time and you may find yourself enjoying a new hobby!
Next time you have a bag of clothes you’re ready to get rid of, try some of these ideas out and see what happens!
