When cleaning our rooms, we always find old clothes or clothes that no longer fit us in our closets. If your first thought is discarding them, what would you actually do and where would you send them to?
In fact, many of our clothes are made out of textiles that contain plastics and are not recyclable. In the US, 85 per cent of the clothes that are thrown away ends up being burned or trashed to the landfills, contributing to pollution and climate change.
Other than the old clothes, there are also many unsold fashion products that would end up being disposed of. Therefore, here are some eco-friendly ways for you to donate or send away your old clothes instead of just throwing them away.
1. Reuse Them
Reusing old stuff is always a good choice. In this case, old clothes that are more absorbent can be reused as our household items like mop or cleaning cloth. Clothes with big pockets can even be cut out and used as a bag or storage space.
Besides, you can also reuse them as a doormat, just like most regular Asian households do. This way is the simplest way to put the old clothes into good use and allows you to save money at the same time.
2. Restyle Them
You may think that some of your clothes are out of style and no longer like them, but simple sewing, cutting, or restyling can give them entirely new and nice looks!
There are many tutorials online such as 5-minute crafts that teach us how to restyle and transform our used clothes into something beautiful again.
Besides, you can also let your own creativity flow and make something out of the used clothes. For instance, I turned this unwanted singlet into a recycle bag, and now I make good use of it every time when buying groceries!
3. Kloth Lifestyle’s Initiative
According to Kloth, a fabric recycling movement in Malaysia, Malaysians are estimated to produce up to 2,000 tons of textile wastes and other wearable products every day. Other than contributing to climate change as mentioned, the dyes and chemicals in our clothing products including shoes can also leach into the soil and contaminate the water we use.
On the 27th & 28th of November (Saturday & Sunday), Kloth is organising a 2-day fabric recycling drive-thru from 9:00am to 6:00pm at SHELL Taman Prima Saujana Kajang. This initiative aims to keep fabrics out of the landfills, and winter clothes, as well as blankets, will be donated to the Syrian refugees.
Other than all kinds of textiles, items like children toys, bags, undergarments and footwear will also be accepted. Check out their Facebook’s posting here for more information!
4. Donate To Retail Shops
Retail clothing shops like Uniqlo, H&M and Monki do accept donations of clothes. This is one of the ways for you to discard unwanted clothes. H&M will give you 15 per cent discount for your next purchase when you donate your clothes, and Monki will also provide a 10 per cent discount card when you do so.
However, you are encouraged to not chase over fast fashion and buy new clothes almost immediately. If your goal is just to donate your old clothes and to help the environment at the same time, reusing and recycling them to companies with clearer goals like Kloth would be a better choice.
5. Give Or Sell Them Online/ To Your Friends
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. You can always sell clothes that no longer fit you but still looks great online, for instance, on the second-hand selling platform Carousell.
Other than that, you can also give them to your relatives or friends who want them.
All in all, instead of going for fast fashion, we should purchase clothes that are sustainable instead. Thrifting is a great alternative if you want to save money as well as the environment. Let’s practice reusing, reducing and recycling our clothes in an eco-friendly way and produce as little waste as we can!
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