Find Ways to Recycle your Clothing, Repurpose it, and Reuse it!
Recycling your clothing is easier than you might think. You might be doing it already! It's one of the simplest things to recycle, but one of the most important. You can donate your used clothing, repurpose it into something else, or sell it. Any one of these options is much greener than simply tossing it away, destined for a landfill.
Find places to donate your clothing here, as well as some new uses for your old articles and a brief how-to on selling off your old clothes!
Donate your Clothing to Charity
Places you can donate your clothing to
Donating your old clothing to charities is probably the best way to give your clothes a quick second life. You can give to your local church, or give to charity staples like Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Dress for Success. You'll be reusing your clothing instead of recycling, which is actually better for the environment (less energy used!). Also try the homeless shelters in your area.
Bring back some of that money you spent by selling big ticket items on ebay
Take our Poll on your Recycling Habits!
See how much you recycle compared to everyone else!
While you're at it...
...why not ask other people in your neighborhood if they have used clothing to donate? Friends, family and the people next door will likely have plenty of stuff to get rid of! They'll appreciate the favor, and you'll be doing a green deed that helps out the environment and people that need it!
Repurposing your Old Clothing
Be creative by thinking of new uses for your old clothing!
Your old clothing might not be wearable or fashionable any longer, but that doesn't mean it's completely useless! Many people repurpose their old clothing into a brand new wardrobe, this is where your creativity kicks in!
Here are some other ideas for your used clothing:
- Take soft clothing or towels and tear them into usable pieces for dust rags.
- Old clothing can make an excellent rag also to clean your car. Why pay for a rag when you have all of this used clothing?
- Repurpose your old towels by donating them to an animal shelter or organization. They could always use fresh towels for their animals to sleep on.
- Take pieces of some of the more unique wardrobe pieces and make a one-of-a-kind quilt.
Blog Posts on Repurposing Used Clothing...
- Re-purposed sewing | FIMBY
- Sewing Green: Projects and Ideas for Stitching with Organic, Repurposed, and Recycled Fabrics. I was able to get this book through inter-library loan. Have I mentioned yet how much I love inter-library loan? Sweater Surgery: How to Make New Things with Old Sweaters ... I did find one mens wool sweater but then decided to wear it rather than cut it up :) My 9yo daughter has recently used scraps of fabric for patchwork pillows and doll clothes for her and her little sister. ...
- Punk Rock Flea Market This Weekend
- Two seperate tables: Philly AIDS Thrift: We will be selling used clothing, books, records, cds, knick knacks and paddy whacks! All proceeds benefit 30 local HIV/AIDS organizations in Philadelphia! Christina Kallas: Selling used books, ...
- Homebody: Thrifty Gifty #1—Repurpose Clothing as Pillows
- Sewed up one end of the pant leg tube, stuffed the pillow in, and used Fabri-tac to close up the other end. IMG_4563. What remained of the pants, the waist to the knees, I cut apart at the seams, removing waistband and zipper. ...
- Divine Consign: Repurposing Entertainment Armoires
- Entertainment armoires can be perfectly used as clothing armoires! There are already drawers and shelves for shoes, undergarments, etc. In the large open TV space, shelves can be added for storing sweaters, or simply install a rod for ...
Selling your Used Clothing on eBay
Take the best of the best and sell it!
There's nothing wrong with selling off your old used clothing on eBay! The key to this process is honesty. Be honest about the condition and value of each piece. Be sure every article is completely clean and washed, and photograph everything. Avoid returns and problems by being up front with every item that you sell! Document it through text as well as by photography to be clear.
The best strategy to sell your used clothing is to take the best condition items with big brand names and set these aside. Check on eBay what similar items have been selling for and price yours accordingly (with used clothing, cheaper is usually best). Evaluate the condition, make sure they're clean, then check what they've been selling for on eBay. Next, take your photographs, state your policies, upload the pictures, and detail everything! Be sure to time your auction on a high traffic time of day! Also, use recycled packaging material to make your shipments a little greener. Here's a good tutorial on selling your used clothing on eBay.
Get started selling on eBay by registering here.
Some Examples of Used Clothing on eBay
See what other sellers are doing with their old clothing!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Check out these Green Links!
- GreenTipsBlog.com
- Green living tips to make your life a little bit greener by the day! From Christmas trees to tap water, you'll find ways to cut down on your waste and be a little more eco friendly!
- Reusable Bags from EcoGreenBags!
- Cool reusable bags from EcoGreenBags! 100% cotton canvas bags that are fully machine washable and fade resistant.
- TheGreenerEarth.com
- Find eco chic organic products and cool reusables from Chartreuse!
Guestbook
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Reply
- Cypher Cypher Apr 24, 2009 @ 4:22 pm
- Your poll doesn't have multiple choice answers! We donate usable clothing to a good cause, and repurpose as much of the rest of it as we can. Jeans make a great picnic blanket!
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Reply
- awelldressedbullet awelldressedbullet Jan 24, 2009 @ 12:30 pm
- You always create such rockin' lenses! And this one is another great one! We always donate our used clothing to the Canadian Diabetes Association. It's great that they call our town residents once or twice a year and even come to our wee town and pick up. - Kathy
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Reply
- lakeerieartists lakeerieartists Jan 12, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
- Welcome to Living the Green Organic Lifestyle.
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Reply
- nana jan nana jan Dec 31, 2008 @ 11:30 am
- I have been successful in getting my daughter and son-in-law to start recycling. they received a kitchen compost bin for Christmas
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Reply
- Tiddledeewinks Tiddledeewinks Nov 25, 2008 @ 7:46 pm
- I,m thinking of making patch denim tote bags from old jeans!
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