Fast fashion didn’t use to be a problem. Or rather, no one realized it was a problem. Today, though, people are much more aware of the issues that fast fashion – the quick production of cheap clothes that aren’t meant to last for too long – can bring with it. When clothes are made to be disposed of, lots of items will end up in landfills, and more and more resources will be used to make their replacements, and all of this together is terrible for the planet.

So you might have decided that fast fashion is no longer for you, and you want to try something more sustainable. That’s great, but sometimes clothes, no matter how great the quality, will stop being wearable. The question is, what can you do with them if you don’t want to throw them away? Keep reading, and you’ll find some answers that will help you make the right choice.

Upcycling

Just because something isn’t fashionable anymore, that doesn’t mean it’s reached the end of its useful life, and it might be that through some careful and innovative upcycling, you can make something last much longer, even if it’s in an entirely new form. Good examples of this include jeans that are torn and frayed – could you cut them down and turn them into shorts instead? Or what about turning old t-shirts into reusable shopping bags by stitching up the bottom and adding handles? You can even send t-shirts to professionals who can make a t-shirt quilt from them, keeping your memories safe and adding a new piece of décor to your home.

When you start to think about what you might be able to do with an old piece of clothing by upcycling it into something more useful, you’ll realize that you don’t have to throw anything away because the possibilities are endless.

Clothing Swaps

Perhaps something has gone out of style, or it doesn’t fit you anymore, or you just never really liked it in the first place, at least once you got it home from the store. You could throw these things out and buy replacements, but that’s wasteful and expensive, so instead, why not organize or attend a clothing swap?

Hosting a clothing swap, or going to one in your local area, is a great way to ‘dispose’ of old clothes you don’t wear anymore and find new ones that you love, all without spending a penny or throwing anything in the trash. It’s an easy thing to arrange, and all you’ll need to do if you’re the host is provide some food and drink to keep your guests happy, plus you’ll need a room to lay out all the clothes. After that, everyone can mill around and take what they want. Anything that’s left over can be taken to a charity store, so you still won’t have to throw anything in the bin.

Donate

Following on from the above idea, donating old clothes is a fantastic way to prevent too much going to landfill and to help others at the same time. If the clothes are still in good condition, but you just don’t want them anymore, take them to a charity store or put them into a donation bin and let someone else have them who needs them more than you do.

Before you donate anything, make sure the clothes are clean and fit to be worn – if there are holes you can fix, take the time to mend them, but if the clothes can’t be repaired, it’s best not to donate them and to use some of the other ideas on this list instead, as no one will buy them and they’ll just have to go to landfill in the end anyway.

Textile Recycling

If the clothes are too worn out to be much good to anyone else, and you can’t upcycle them in any way, look for places that recycle textiles and take your old clothes there. There might be a textile recycling program in your area where people will come and collect your old clothes, so look for information on that to make things as easy as possible and to motivate you to do what you need to do rather than throwing your clothes away.

If there isn’t a program like that, don’t worry – you can still recycle your clothes, but you might have to make a trip to a recycling plant to do it. If that’s the case, save up your old clothes and perhaps ask your friends and neighbors if they have any to spare so that it makes the trip worthwhile.

Composting

Although not all fabrics can be composted, natural materials like cotton, linen, and wool definitely can – they’ll break down in a compost pile just like any other organic waste, and not only will you prevent things from going to landfill, but you’ll create some lovely soil to help your garden grow better.

If you want to compost clothes, cut them up into small pieces to make the process quicker and easier, and make sure you don’t add any synthetic fabrics to the pile as they won’t biodegrade, and you won’t actually be helping. Composting clothes might not be the first thing you think of, but it can be the perfect way to dispose of them without harming the environment.